Love At First Sight? Please, Be Serious
by kaytar101
Summary: Jasmine has always been different from normal people. When she is on a hiking trip with her best friend, the unthinkable happens. Now she finds herself in a completely new world facing the challenges of being in love and trying to destroy evil. Legolas/OC
1. Wtf?

CHAPTER 1

My calves burned and sweat poured down my face as my friend, Josephine, Jo, for short, broke through the line of trees. My long, curly blonde hair clung to the back of my neck where I had pulled it into a loose bun. I must have had at least ten blisters on my feet due to the hiking boots that I had recently purchased for this trip. I looked around and realized, with horror, that we had completely lost the trail. We had been on a hiking trip for two weeks now, but we lost our trail during a storm a few days ago. I had thought that I found a way back, but I was sorely mistaken.

"I'm so sorry Jo! I thought this would get us beck to the trail, but I was wrong. Now we're even worse off than we were before!" I cried, dismayed and furious at myself for doing something this stupid.

"Don't beat yourself up over this Jas. I was the one who got us lost. I should be the one apologizing. I mean we'll find our way back eventually right, we have to," Jo replied, her words becoming rushed and nervous towards the end. She called me Jas, but my full name is Jasmine. Jo is one of the only people who can get away with calling me Jas and not have to face the horrible consequences that would usually follow.

"It's getting dark. Why don't we just build a fire and eat something. There's nothing we can do now but wait for tomorrow and hope we find something that will lead us back to the trail, or run into more hikers," I suggested, shivering. The temperature had dropped considerably in the past few days, which worried me. Neither Jo or I had thought to bring anything warmer than a flannel shirt. We were backpacking and we needed to pack lightly. If the temperature continued to drop the way it has then we could be facing possible hypothermia, or even death. I grimaced at the thought of dying out in the wilderness and tried to push the thought out of my head, but a feeling of dread now pervaded my thoughts.

We started a fire, subconsciously moving close to it to attempt to warm our freezing limbs. Jo and I tried to keep up light conversation, but we soon fell into silence, neither one of us wanting to say what was on our minds- we were going to freeze to death if we did not find better shelter, or help.

"We have to move. Let's try going back the way we came. I know it is dark now, but if we don't our fate could be much worse. I wish my flashlight was working. At least we could see where we were going. If we don't find anything at least we will keep warm by moving," I said, breaking the silence. In a frenzy, we gathered our things, shoving them into our packs and doused the fire. We made our way, slowly, back into the forest, trying not to trip on any roots or rocks. A twisted ankle would not benefit our situation right now.

It seemed like we were hiking for hours when Jo finally gasped, "I can't keep doing this. I need to take a break. Let's sit down. I need to rest against a tree."

"All right, but we have to keep moving. I don't want to die out here!"

"Do you think I do? I've been blindly following you, trying to keep up with you. If it weren't for you, maybe I'd have found a way out of this mess! Why do you have to be such a jerk! I'll rest as long as I feel like it. You can go on without me if you want to continue trying to save yourself. Dying out here would be better than dealing with your attitude," Jo snarled. I was shocked and hurt by her words. I knew I should not have replied, but I could not help myself as the words slipped out of my mouth.

"Fine! I will! But while you're dying, know that I won't feel any remorse. When I get the tragic call that you died I'll laugh and think how obnoxious you were and how you deserved what you got," As soon as I finished, I instantly felt guilty. I paused for a minute, wanting to apologize, but also wanting to run away from her. I was torn between my feelings of guilt and those of hurt and betrayal.

"What are you waiting for? Get out of here! I don't need you. I hope you fall off a cliff while you're hiking in the middle of the night," Jo snarled.

"Ok! Great! If that's what you really want!" I ran into the forest, hot tears spilling from my eyes. I walked blindly for the next hour. I didn't care where I was going. All I could think about was our fight and how terrible I felt. Jo was right, I deserved to die. I shouldn't have responded that way to Jo. I sighed and fell against a tree. To my surprise, I felt myself falling backwards. The tree was hollow.

As I fell, I thought I must have hit my head, because I felt myself falling through clouds and a cover of trees into a forest. I screamed as my body collided with the ground. I looked around and saw a beautiful palace before darkness consumed my vision and I felt my grasp on reality slip.


	2. Meetings

CHAPTER 2

I awoke in a dark room. At first I was horrified that I had been captured by something, but I realized my strange sensation of falling. Could the tree have been a portal? I laughed at the thought, but as I looked around me the idea seemed more and more likely. The windows were open, leading to a large balcony, and there were flowers in every possible space. I was lying on a very comfortable bed with green sheets. There were no light switches to be found, but there were candles here and there, giving off a warm glow. It was exactly how I would have imagined the palaces of elves.

I slowly stood up, in awe, muscles screaming in protest. I managed to make my way to the balcony, where I saw beautiful architecture and gardens all around. The door creaked open, and I spun around startled.

"Oh, good, you're awake. You gave us quite a scare My Lady Elf," a man with a slight beard and brown hair down to his shoulders said. It took me a while to realize that he had called me an elf.

"What exactly happened to me? Who are you? And why did you call me an elf?" I was utterly confused. I was shocked when I spoke, my voice sounded like music, sweet and flowing.

"You fell from the sky Milady. As for my name, it is Aragorn. You may call my by my name if you wish. And I called you elf because unless I am quite mistaken, which I do not think I am, you _are_ and elf. You have the pointed ears, flowing hair, and of course beauty that would put all but the goddesses to shame," Aragorn answered.

"This is impossible! I can't be an elf! I was human before I fell through the tree! Where am I?" I asked, my head spinning. I reached out to steady myself and grabbed a mirror, which I then picked up. My pale blue eyes widened at the sight I beheld. I truly did change. My ears were now tapered into a point. My skin was pale and flawless, lips like a rosebud. My hair was no longer a curly mess, but it hung in perfect ringlets- almost nine inches longer than it had been.

"I assure you, My Lady, you are an elf. You are currently in Rivendell, home of the elves. Lord Elrond was friends with your parents, by the way," he answered.

"My parents? That's impossible. I had parents back where I came from."

"That may be so, but you birth parents lived here, in Rivendell. You must understand that you were born during a dark time. Your parents sent you through a portal in the hopes that a family would find you and raise you while they fought the evil lord of the land. They intended to bring you back once the danger had passed," Aragorn explained. I could not believe what he said, but it all seemed to make sense. My family all had black hair and brown eyes. I stuck out like a sore thumb. I also knew a language that no one else on earth seemed to know. I wondered if that was my native tongue.

"My parents, are they alive, did they send for me?" I asked, hoping to find somewhere where I would truly fit in and be appreciated. I felt strangely at home in this strange land, despite the fact that I had only been fully conscious here for a few minutes.

"I'm sorry My Lady, but your parents passed soon after you were safely transported to a new land. They died trying to fight the darkness that had claimed our lands," Aragorn said, looking down.

"Oh, well I thank you for informing me of this. It would have been nice to meet them at least one time. But Aragorn, why do call me 'My Lady'? My name is Jasmine. You may call me that if you wish to. Please do, actually," I responded, curious. I was not at all used to being called 'My lady'.

"I call you that because your parents were royalty, making you a princess. However, if you wish it, I will call you Jasmine from now on," he responded, smiling for the first time since I had met him.

"I do wish it. But a princess? I haven't the slightest idea how to behave like a princess!"

"You are already doing a fine job. I guarantee you will capture the hearts of you subjects easily, for if I may be so bold, you are very easy to grow fond of Jasmine," Aragorn complimented.

"Well, thank you. Is there any way that I could have a bath? I feel quite dirty. Also, are there any spare clothes that I might use?"

"My lady, I will have servants draw you a bath. As for the clothes, you shall have to borrow nothing from now on. You are a princess and as such, you will receive the best quality gowns."

"Thank you Aragorn. After I finish, may I seek you out. I think I would like a tour of Rivendell and I would l thoroughly enjoy being shown around by a friend, if I may consider you a friend," I asked.

"Of course you may. I would be honored to give you a tour. And I would be very glad if you considered me a friend. I shall introduce you to some of my friends as well, for I think you would like to know more people than just me. I will meet you at the fountain you can see from your balcony."

"Thank you. Where should I find you?" I asked. I had a friend! Maybe I would grow to love this place. I really would enjoy having new friends. These thoughts made me think of Jo. I truly hoped she was alright. I felt awful about what I said, and I realized that I would never be able to go back to Earth. Everyone there would assume I had died. Oh poor Jo! She would feel terrible after what she had said to me. I wished there was a way to tell her that I was alive and well, but I knew I could not. I could only hope that she would not make herself feel too awful.

The servants prepared my bath and I undressed and slid into the warm water. That was when I noticed the servants were still there.

It appears that they must have sensed my confusion, because one of them said, "My Lady, we are here to assist you. May we scrub the dirt off you?"

I thought how strange this was, but agreed to it. They began with my arms, working their way down my back and legs. It felt so good to be pampered after what I had been through. The soap they used smelled of roses and they lathered my hair with something similar. They held a towel up for me after I was clean, and allowed me to cover myself with it before they led me to my room.

On the bed, there was a beautiful dress. It was a crimson red with cream lace adorning the bodice, sleeves, and hem. The sleeves were of the same color until they reached my elbow, where a cream fabric flowed from it, like a river of shimmering fabric. Tiny pearls lined the top of the bodice and sleeves. I gasped in awe of the beautiful garment that I now owned.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to put this on without help. Would you be so kind as to help me?" I asked.

"Of course, My Lady, we would be glad to help you."

With their help, I was wearing the dress within minutes. I looked amazing. My hair had a sheen to it and the dress fit perfectly, as if it was made for me and would not be worn by anybody else.

I put on shoes to match my dress and made my way outside to find Aragorn. As I wandered through the halls, I felt many eyes watching me. I tried not to feel self conscious, but I still felt a little awkward. I stepped into the yard which the fountain was located in. Aragorn was right where he said he would be. He seemed to be in a deep conversation with an elf. He was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. His blonde hair was braided just above his ears. He seemed to be three inches taller than me and his body was muscular, but not overly so. I approached slowly and I stepped on a twig, which cracked under my foot.

When they heard this, they both turned in my direction. I heard them gasp.

"Jasmine, you look beautiful," Aragorn managed to say.

"My Lady, you do indeed look wonderful. Your beauty far surpasses that of any other maiden I have met," Aragorn's friend said. I ducked my head to hide my blush. I never got compliments on earth. I was not used to being called beautiful.

"Thank you My Lord, although I am not used to being called beautiful," I managed to say. His eyes were a transfixing shade of blue. I felt like I could lose myself in them. I _wanted _to get lost in them.

"That cannot be. Surely a lady as lovely as you must get compliments constantly. Is this the maiden you spoke of Aragorn?"

"Aye. Legolas, this is Princess Jasmine. Jasmine, this is Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of Mirkwood."

"I am honored to meet you, Legolas Greenleaf." I replied, bowing slightly.

"No, the honor is all mine Princess Jasmine. I am sorry you had to arrive here to find you parents deceased, but I swear that anything you need, my family and I will be more than happy to provide," Legolas said.

"Thank you. That means a lot to me. But please, call me Jasmine. Being called Princess makes me feel odd."

"As you wish, Jasmine. Aragorn just informed me that you were taking a tour of the grounds. May I accompany you?"

"Of course. I would be quite pleased if you did. Now, if you don't mind my asking, it seems that there is a great gathering of elves, humans, and dwarves. Is this what usually happens, or is something going on that I should be aware of?" I asked, curious.

"Well, I suppose you know of the ring of power. Our friend, Gandalf the Gray, has set off to find the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who possesses it. We expect that his nephew will be responsible to bring it here, where we will decide who will bear the ring to Mordor to be destroyed," Legolas answered. When he mentioned the ring of power, I remembered something the maids who helped me earlier spoke of. A ring that had the power to destroy all of mankind. I cringed at the thought.

"Why take it to Mordor? Can't you just destroy it here?" I asked. It would be so much simpler if they got rid of it here. There would be less danger that way.

"Alas, many people have had the same idea as you, but it does not work. The ring can only be destroyed in the fires that created it," Aragorn answered.

"Oh, forgive me. I did not know," I apologized, feeling very stupid.

"There is noting to forgive Jasmine. You were not aware of this. It was a good idea though," Legolas replied, smiling at me.

"Well, let's get started on that tour I promised," Aragorn said, offering me his arm. I took it and smiled. Legolas stood on the other side of me and took on the task of explaining the history and significance of everything we passed. This was no easy task, due to the fact that everything here was incredible old and had served as something important at one time or another.

When the tour was finally finished, it was about time for supper. I was nervous because there were many traditions that I was not aware of, including the tiny detail of an escort.

"Jasmine, if you do not already have an escort to supper, I would be honored to escort you and introduce you to some people who you might like to know," Legolas offered.

"That would be lovely Legolas, if you do not already have someone to escort," I replied.

"Well, thank you, and no, I do not have anyone to escort. You could say I was waiting for someone special to come along," he said mischievously.

"Am I special to you Legolas?" I asked, trying to keep my tone playful, but inside me, there was a burning desire to hear his answer and I prayed that it would be yes.

"Yes, I'm afraid you are very special, almost too special."

"You're joking Legolas. Please don't play with my emotions," I said

"My lady Jasmine, I would not jest about something this serious. I apologize if I offended you," Legolas replied. Although he was teasing me only seconds ago, I could not doubt the sincerity in his voice and eyes. I believed him and hearing his words made my heart soar.

"You have no idea how happy you have just made me," I said.

"I believe I have an idea. Now, tell me Jasmine, do you consider me to be special?"

"I do, truly I do. You really are something special and I am not lying," I said.

Legolas smiled at me, a smile that melted my heart. He bid me farewell and promised to stop by my room before dinner so that he could escort me. I severely hoped that this would continue for a long time.


	3. Confessions

WITH LEGOLAS

All Legolas could think about was Jasmine, beautiful Jasmine. Was it possible that in the few moments he had spent with her, he had fallen in love? It seemed an impossible concept to grasp. Elves did not love easily. They were immortal and they first had to have a strong sense of rightness before they could commit themselves completely to someone. Yet, his feelings for Jasmine were like nothing he had ever experienced. He remembered her golden hair, her crystal blue eyes staring back into his. He wondered if she felt anything for him. She must not have. She did not seem the kind of woman to give herself so easily to anybody. And she had told him that she thought he was special. Legolas reveled in the thought of her face when he had revealed his feelings for her, she seemed so happy. He hoped that this would lead to something more than a friendship with Jasmine.

He wondered whether or not to tell Aragorn of his feelings for Jasmine. Perhaps he would understand, considering how much he loved Arwen. Then again, this could be an illusion of the heart. He could have made himself fall for Jasmine. No, he shook his head, that was not likely. He doubted that he could make himself feel this strongly about a girl he had just met. Legolas laughed out loud at this. He had just met Jasmine, and yet he felt as if he had loved her for all of his life. Why did this have to be so complicated? He had just met the girl and it seemed outrageous that he would fall in love with her in such a short time, yet he had. Hadn't he? Love was not supposed to be like this. But then again, when were things ever what they seemed?

WITH JASMINE

All I could think about was Legolas. His eyes, his hair, the way it sounded when he said her name. He had called me special. _I _was special to him. Dinner went exceptionally well. I had a chance to meet Lord Elrond, Gimli, Boromir, and many others. Legolas was extremely kind and never left my side. Perhaps this meant that my feelings for him would be returned, but how could they be? He was so perfect and I was nothing special, but if I was to him then maybe I would believe I was worth something. I mentally slapped myself, getting my hopes up was foolish, there was no way that Legolas could love me more than a friend, despite what he had said earlier.

Ugh! All these thoughts swimming in my head made me wish Jo were here. She always knew what to say and do when it came to things that were bothering me. How I missed her. Why did I have to fall through that stupid portal? Why did the fates see fit to completely uproot my life and throw me into a whirlwind of confusion? My euphoria at being in such a magical place was quickly wearing off. I missed my friend and it pained me to wonder if she was still alive or missing me at all. I prayed for this to be a dream, but to no avail. Everything stayed the same. I was still in my own room. I was a prisoner in my fantasy dreamland. I desperately needed company, or else I feared I would not know what to do with myself.

As if he heard my thoughts, Legolas appeared in my doorway.

"You look troubled Jasmine, what is wrong?" Legolas asked, concern touching his features.

"I am so confused and lonesome. I wish I never arrived here in the first place," I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. I blinked multiple times to try to keep my tears from overflowing.

"I'm sorry. Would talking to me help? Or would you prefer to be alone?"

"I think talking to you would help a lot," I replied.

"Then I am here to listen. May I sit with you?" He asked, motioning to an empty space on my bed.

"Yes, of course," I responded, moving over slightly.

"So, what exactly is bothering you Jasmine?"

"I don't know Legolas, I just feel so lost. I barely knew who I was back where I came from. Now that I am here, I am a Princess and I do not know that I want to be one. I miss my family back home and my best friend Jo……I don't e-even kno-ow w-what happened to h-h-her," I said, the tears finally pouring down my face. They were warm as they slid down my cheeks and tasted salty as they caught on my lips.

Legolas put his arm around me and pulled me close to him, looking into my eyes. "What happened to your friend?"

"We-we were h-hiking and…..and we got into a f-f-fight. We were lost in the f-forest and it was d-d-d-dark. She said it would be better if I died. I-I said the same th-thing to her and ran off into the w-woods. That's wh-when I fell through the po-portal. I don't know if she died. If she did, i-it would be a-all my f-f-fault. I k-killed my b-b-best friend Legolas," I sobbed. I feared what his response would be. Would he think I was cruel? What could he think of me after this?

"Shhh Jasmine, it's all right. You didn't mean it and you can't feel responsible for her fate. I too have had fights like yours. And I'm sure Jo will be fine," he whispered soothingly into my ear.

"But how can you know? How can you be sure?" I was crying hysterically. What if I did kill her? How could I live with myself? I was a horrible person.

"I just know. I can feel that she is alright. Please don't blame yourself. Your response was natural. I know you did not mean it and I am sure that she knows as well."

"Thank you Legolas," I said. He pulled me even closer to him and I buried my face in his chest and cried until my tears ran out. I cried for the loss of my old life, for the confusion that I was thrown into, and for the possibility that Legolas did not love me as I love him, for his help today made me fall even harder for him. "I'm sorry, I fear I have ruined your shirt Legolas," I said, laughing shakily.

"I'd rather have a tear-stained shirt than a hurting friend. I care about you and I am glad that I could be of service to you. You should rest. Go to sleep. I shall see you tomorrow morning. I can teach you how to wield a sword if you wish," he responded, kissing the top of my head. Little did he know, that simple gesture drove me crazy. I wished that he could kiss me forever.

"No, don't leave! Please, I need you to stay with me," I said, clinging to him.

"As you wish. Geril veleth nîn Jasmine(you have my love Jasmine)," he responded. Little did he know, I knew exactly what he was saying, and it made my heart soar. I lay my head down on the pillow and closed me eyes.

I may have imagined it, but I could have sworn that I felt him brush my hair from my face, and lightly kiss my eyelids, then my nose as I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep


	4. Crazier

Author's Note: I love all the reviews. They make my world go round....and they make me write faster. I have chapter 5 already written, but I will not post it until I get at least 4 more reviews. As always, I own nothing, except for my original characters. Nor do I own the song below....it belongs to Taylor Swift.

I've never gone with the wind  
Just let it flow...  
Let it take me where it wants to go  
Till you open the door  
There's so much more...  
I've never seen it before  
I was tryin to fly but I couldn't find wings,  
But you came along, and you changed everything!

You lift my feet off the ground,  
You spin me around,  
You make me crazier,crazier  
Feels like I'm fallin,  
And I'm, lost in your eyes,  
You make me crazier, crazier, crazier...

I watched from a distance as you  
Made life your own...  
Every sky was your own kind of blue...  
And I wanted to know  
How that would feel,  
And you made so real...  
You showed me something that I couldn't see...  
You opened my eyes and you made me believe

I felt like that song would set the mood for this chapter. It is basically how Jasmine feels about Legolas. Please review.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 4

Over the past few weeks, Legolas and I have grown ever closer. I suspect that Legolas might have confessed something to Aragorn, for now whenever he sees me, he says, "you and Legolas would make a fine pair," or something along those lines. I hope that Legolas will make his move soon because waiting is nearly driving me insane! I smiled as I remembered the archery and sword fighting lessons he has been giving me. He was impressed with my archery skills, but when it came to fighting with swords, I needed much work, although I have improved greatly from when we first began my training.

Legolas even presented me with my own sword, sheath, bow, arrows, and quiver. I shook my head, saying that I could not accept them, but he simply smiled and said, "Since you are my dear friend, you should get used to receiving gifts from me, for I enjoy seeing you laugh."

"Thank you, Ernil vuin (beloved prince)," I said.

"You speak Sindarin?" He asked, looking shocked.

"Indeed, I do," I replied.

"Well My Lady, you are full of surprises," he said.

We continued to have conversations, and I smiled, walking down the hall to change my dirty riding habit into a more formal gown for the rest of the evening. As I was entering my chamber, someone caught my arm. I looked around, and found myself facing Legolas.

"Jasmine, riding alone was foolish of you. There are foul creatures lurking in the shadows these days. You should have found me, I would have been glad to ride with you. I care too much for you to risk losing you," Legolas said. His eyes widened when he realized what he had implied.

"I'm sorry, I did not think. Next time I will come find you, if you are not mad at me, that is. And if you still care for me as I care for you," I said, hoping he would understand just how much I loved him. It was then that I hoped that I did not look foolish. He could have meant he cared for me as a friend, but something about the look on his face after he spoke made me think differently.

"You…..care for me? As I care for you?" Legolas questioned.

"That depends on how you care for me," I replied, desperately hoping that my feelings for him would not be rejected. This was it, the final moment when we were just friends. This moment could change my life forever, whether for better or for worse, I knew not.

"I feel as if I care for you much more than I should. I care for you more than a friend, much more than a friend. I know it sounds foolish, after all, I only met you hours ago, but when I saw you, something felt right," Legolas said, trailing off at the end.

"Thank goodness. I was worried that my feelings were one-sided. I had hoped you were going to day that. I agree. We should not feel the way we do, but this, us, it feels…… it feels…," I said, at a loss for words.

"It feels right, almost natural. Does it not Jasmine?"

"It truly does, Legolas, it truly does," I replied, relishing the feel of his name on my lips.

Legolas smiled at me and brushed the hair from my face. He slowly leaned closer to me. I stopped breathing as he slowly brushed his lips against mine. That simple touch made my heart race as it never had before. I wondered how something as simple as a kiss could make me feel this way. I had been kissed before, but never was it anything remotely like this. Before, something had been missing. I had now found that missing piece- Legolas, his passion for life, and his love for me. I was possibly the luckiest person alive to win the heart of such an amazing person. If I had not counted my blessings before my arrival here, I would be sure to do so every day and Legolas would be at the top of my list of things to be thankful for.

"Perfect."

"Perfect," I repeated, and it really was. There was no lust in the soft kiss, just love. Even though I had imagined kissing him thousands of times, nothing could compare to what it really was like. There was no denying it now. I was completely lost to my love for him.

"If you're looking for a dress to change into, I suggest the blue velvet one. It looks beautiful on you. I am very partial to the color blue when you wear it," Legolas said.

"Thank you," I replied, blushing.

"Come, I'll wait for you to get dressed then, you can come with me to my room" he said, when he noticed my face, he laughed, "don't worry we will only be getting clothes and a few books I promised to lend Aragorn. I promise that I won't hurt you now, or ever. And if we ever make love, it will only be when you are ready."

"When we are both ready," I amended.

"When we are both ready. What a considerate lady I have managed to win the heart of. Come love, let us go."

He offered me his arm and I took it, resting my hand by his elbow. I smiled up at him and he laughed. _So this is what love is like_, I thought.


	5. Dread

CHAPTER 5

"Aragorn, Aragorn, guess what!" I yelled, running to find him. He and I had become almost like brother and sister now. I could not wait to tell him the news that Legolas and I were officially courting. I suspected that he knew something would happen soon, judging from the looks he gave me whenever I spoke to him about my feelings for Legolas.

"Yes, Jasmine. What is so important that you ran out here, disturbing all the people around you to tell me?" He teased.

"legolasandiconfessedourfeelingsforeachotherandweareinloveanditsthemostamazingthingintheworldandyouwereright!" I exalaimed.

"Slow down, I could not understand one word you said," Aragorn laughed at my eagerness.

I took a deep breath and began, "Legolas and I confessed our feelings for each other and we are in love and it is the most amazing thing in the world and you were right. Oh, and he kissed me."

Aragorn looked happy and smug. "Did I not tell you this would happen. You doubted me all along and now look what's happened, you've made the prince of Mirkwood fall in love with you."

" I did admit you were right," I laughed.

"Aye, you did. Now come here and give me a hug," He opened his arms and I grabbed on to him, hugging him tightly.

"Thank you, oh thank you. I know you spoke to him as well, and I believe that if it were not for you then he might not be courting me now," I said.

That happened two weeks ago. The hobbits now rapidly approach, and it leaves me with a feeling of dread. I fear that Aragorn, or worse Legolas will volunteer to bear the ring to Mordor and destroy it. They could be killed and I know that I could not live without either of them, especially Legolas. This week had been perfect. We read together in the libraries, and took long strolls in the many gardens. We rode our horses together, and he continued to teach me how to wield a sword. At night, he would stay in my room until I fell asleep, which I usually was not able to do. Having Legolas there made me want to stay awake as long as possible.

Occasionally, we would take walks in the moonlight and he would carry me up to sit on a large tree branch where we would kiss and watch the stars. He would hold me close and whisper sweet words in my ear. Every moment I spent with him made me even happier. When we returned to my room, he would kiss me goodnight and return to his room, saying that if he stayed with me, we might regret it in the morning, although the nights he stayed, I usually woke to find him watching me from a chair located next to my bed.

If he did indeed carry the ring, I would miss him greatly. I would fear not knowing whether or not he was alive. I desperately hoped that he would return to me in one piece and that we could be married and have children together. I knew that it was unwise to think of such things, but I could not help it. I feared for him, for us, and for our future.

I sat on a bench, thinking, when Legolas came and sat next to me, drawing me into his warm embrace. "What are you thinking, love?"

"I fear that if you leave on the quest then you shall not return. Then I will be alone in the world," I said, looking away from him.

He gently turned my head towards his. "Death cannot stop true love. I promise you that if I go, I shall return to you no matter the cost and we shall get married and have children if you so wish. However, I cannot do that while danger still looms in the world. This is not the kind of world that I want our children born into. When I return to you, it will be the start of a bright future. Don't you see, meleth nîn (my love), I must do this," he said, his eyes staring down into my own.

"I understand your reasoning, but I still cannot help but feel frightened and worried about you," I replied. I hoped that he would understand why I felt the way I did.

"I would feel the same way if I were in your place, but please do not torture yourself thinking of such things. Think of happy times and the love we share. Think of our future, and how I will always return to you, no matter what challenges or foes I face. None of them are strong enough to get in the way of our love."

"Do you really believe this Legolas?" I asked.

"I do. I promise you that," he answered. There was no way I could doubt him. Not because of my hope that what he said was true, but because I could tell that he meant every word he had said. That gave me such a feeling of comfort. Then, the lyrics of one of my favorite songs came to my mind. I sang them softly.

_It started out as a feeling  
Which then grew into a hope  
Which then turned into a quiet thought  
Which then turned into a quiet word_

And then that word grew louder and louder  
'Til it was a battle cry

I'll come back  
When you call me  
No need to say goodbye

Just because everything's changing  
Doesn't mean it's never  
Been this way before

All you can do is try to know  
Who your friends are  
As you head off to the war

Pick a star on the dark horizon  
And follow the light

You'll come back  
When it's over  
No need to say good bye

You'll come back  
When it's over  
No need to say good bye

Now we're back to the beginning  
It's just a feeling and no one knows yet  
But just because they can't feel it too  
Doesn't mean that you have to forget

Let your memories grow stronger and stronger  
'Til they're before your eyes

You'll come back  
When they call you  
No need to say good bye

You'll come back  
When they call you  
No need to say good bye

"That was beautiful. What is that song called and where did you learn it?" Legolas asked me.

"It's called _The Call_. It was one of my favorite songs where I came from. The lyrics seemed to fit," I said shyly, "I apologize for my voice. I am not the best singer."

"Don't say that. You have one of the most beautiful voices I've heard," Legolas leaned in to kiss me. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our kissing became more intense. His tongue tasted of sweet berries and wine. We broke apart at the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Lord Elrond was standing in front of us, looking rather displeased. "Prince Legolas, Princess Jasmine, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from such activities. Gandalf has returned with the hobbits. Frodo is unconscious, but our council will commence as soon as he regains consciousness. You are both requested to attend the secret council. Legolas, if you insist on kissing Lady Jasmine, might I suggest that you find a more private place. There are many elves in the hallway gawking at the both of you," he said, smiling at the last part.

I felt a blush creep up into my cheeks and I ducked my head, utterly mortified. Legolas, however, was laughing.

"Very well, Lord Elrond. I take it that a messenger will be sent to us when young Frodo awakens," Legolas said. Lord Elrond nodded and walked away.

"Legolas, that was so embarrassing! Lord Elrond just walked in on us kissing. I can only imagine what he is thinking now," I exclaimed once Lord Elrond was safely out of sight.

"I'm well aware of what happened, meleth nîn (my love). I suppose we shall have to find a more private place to continue this Jasmine," Legolas said, smirking and taking my hand to lead me into his private study.

Authors Note: Please, please review. I've been writing all day. I have 11 chapters written, but I will not post any more until I get more reviews. Okay? So please, review, even if it's a "hey, I liked it"


	6. Council

Author's Note: I'm sorry if these next few chapters aren't as good as the last few. My grandfather had a heart attack and went through bypass surgery. At first, he was making an incredible recovery, but his condition has been getting worse. When I went to visit him yesterday, he started coughing up blood. They are doing tests on him today and he went in to get an x-ray. We don't know the results yet, and we don't know why he coughed up blood. The doctors are working very hard to help him.

I've already had my grandmother die this year so, I have a lot on my mind. I sincerely hope that my grandfather makes it through this, but part of my mind is always focused on his condition. I hope that you can forgive me if this writing is not up to my usual standards...I've been somewhat distracted lately.

CHAPTER 6

Legolas and I sat in our favorite garden, reading to each other from an elvish romance novel. We had just finished enjoying a romantic lunch full of our favorite foods. Legolas had planned everything for today, and it was turning out to be perfect. I could not imagine a better way to spend my time with him, nor could I fathom how long it took him to plan this day for us. The best part was that he completely surprised me. I figured he had something up his sleeve for a few days. This morning he had woken me up early and we had rode out together, on the same horse, to watch the sunrise. After that, we enjoyed some berries, bread, and cheese for our breakfast.

As we rode back to the palace, Legolas told me the names of the trees, flowers, and animals that we encountered and amused me with tales of his childhood. We ran into Aragorn upon our return, who smiled and said, "Ahh, love. And Legolas, you teased me for being infatuated with Arwen. If only you could see the look on your face now. Although I am glad you and Jasmine have found each other."

That brings us to the present, our reading. As we sat together, a man ran up to us, saying that the hobbit, Frodo had awakened and the council was to start immediately. We took off after him.

"I'm sorry that this interrupted our day together. I swear I will make it up to you," Legolas apologized, squeezing my hand.

"It is not your fault. You do not have to make it up to me, this was already the best day I've had since arriving here, but if you insist on making it up to me then please take me with you on your journey. I could help you, and it would put my mind to ease, being with you," I said, hoping that he would understand.

"No, I shall not put you in such danger. Please understand my love, I must be part of this, but I do not want you in harms way. If anything happened to you, it would be my fault and I could not bear to see you in pain," he responded with a tone of finality. I sighed and looked away.

I chanced a glance at him as the council was held, and hoping that he was not too angry with me. I was quite pleased when he returned my gaze. My happiness was short livid though, for he tore his glance away from me. I dropped my eyes to my hands. I was so lost in my thoughts that only Legolas's yell roused me and brought me spinning back to reality. An argument had broken out. A small man, Fordo, was yelling, "I'll take it! I'll take the ring, though I do not know the way."

Lord Elrond did not seem adverse to this idea. And so it was agreed. Little Frodo would bear the ring to Mordor, where he would destroy it. He would need guardians though. In the end, there were nine, including both Legolas and Aragorn. I knew I couldn't be left here. I had to help, to be with Legolas and Aragorn. Perhaps Legolas might forgive me for what I was about to do.

"I will accompany them as well." I stated. I could feel the gazes of everyone on me. I only hoped that they would not laugh at my statement.

"A woman. Bah! This is no mission for a girl," the dwarf, Gimli, spat.

"Now, master dwarf, I may be a woman, but I am strong and I am sure that I can keep up with you. Where I came from I was a very skilled archer so, you will not have to worry about my being a burden to defend. I can care for myself quite well and if after this, you still have reasons for not wanting me to join you, I will gladly hear them, but if your only quarrel with me is the fact that I am a woman then I suggest that you drop your argument," I said, a razor edge to my voice. For the first time, I spoke with the authority of royalty.

"Well, I suppose you could come, but I won't like it," Gimli said, Boromir agreeing.

"Be that as it may, I am determined to play a part in this journey, if the other members are not opposed to my joining, that is," I replied.

"I see no harm in letting her join us. I am confident that she will prove a valuable member and you shall be glad that she is with us," Aragorn said. I blushed at his words.

"Thank you, My Lord. I am glad to hear that you do not doubt me because of my gender. I could not chose whether or not I would be a woman or a man, but I can chose what to make of what I am." I replied.

"Let Jasmine come. If she cannot keep up, which I doubt will happen, I will personally see to it that she becomes my responsibility. Does that please you Gimli?" Aragorn questioned.

"Fine, let the lassie come. At least she is an elf. That ought to make this better," Gimli replied.

"Thus it is decided. Ten companions will be the fellowship of the ring. May you have good fortune on your journey," Lord Elrond said.

I set off to pack, determined to find some riding chaps, breeches and tunics. I would not ride and fight wearing gowns. It would simply not do. I walked to find a seamstress or someone who could lend me clothes, but I felt a strong arm encircle my waist and I stopped.

"What were you thinking Jasmine! I already explained to you that this mission is too dangerous to you. I could not bear if anything was to happen to you," Legolas said, distress evident in is voice.

"I was thinking that maybe I would be an asset to the fellowship. I understand what you said, but I swear that if I am left behind I will die of grief. I cannot live not knowing whether you are alive or not. I will not be left here while you risk your life Legolas! I love you and I swear that I will die if I am left here. I had to do what I did, don't you see Legolas? I need to be near you, to know that you are alright," I said. I looked into his eyes and held him in my gaze. I tried to communicate with him the sadness and love that I was feeling.

"Oh, Jasmine, I'm sorry. I just worry about you. I truly have failed you, thinking of my own feelings while you are so distressed. You shall accompany us, and I swear that I will protect you no matter what. Come to my room, I shall lend you some of my breeches and tunics, a dress would not due for this mission at all," Legolas replied.

Now that I had convinced him to let me accompany him, there was just one other matter to be taken care of. If I was to die on this mission, I wanted to experience as much as I could before my death. I wanted to have sex with Legolas. I wished I could tell him, but I feared his response.

Author's Note: I hope you are enjoying the story so far. I've spent almost all my time writing these days. It helps me keep my mind off of my grandfather's condition.


	7. Proposal

Author's Note: For those of you who were wondering, my grandfather is now in rehab; however, he ssays that he feels worse than ever, which worries me. They are giving him so much medicine that he feels like "his insides are burning". He also said that he feels like he is swallowing glass and he looks so weak. We spoke to his nurses and they are contacing his doctor to see if they can take him off some of the medications. Hopefully, he will feel better soon, but this development worries me. It is good that he's in rehab, but not if he is this uncomfortable.

I want to thank caros24084u for her constant support and amazing reviews. This chapter is dedicated to you.

I'd also like to thank everyone who has reviewed my story. They insprie me to keep writing :)

CHAPTER 7

Legolas and I were in his room. He had deftly found a pile of clothes for me to wear on our journey, they were slightly too long and I would have to roll them up and tie the tunics with a belt, but they fit relatively well all the same. We were now sitting on his bed, discussing what lie ahead of us. He spoke of our coming journey and his hopes for what would happen afterwards. This was my chance to have my wish. I hoped that Legolas would oblige.

"I am still upset that you volunteered for this Jasmine, but not quite so much now that I understand your grief. I apologize for being so closed-minded, my love," Legolas whispered into my hair. He tried to control his voice from being angry. I hoped that he really did understand, like he said.

"I am sorry for not listening to you, but now at least we will face the horrors that await us together. Knowing that you will be by my side gives me strength to hope that perhaps we will make it out of this ordeal alive," I whispered.

"Do not say such things Jasmine. Of course we will make it out alive. Then we will watch Aragorn be crowned King of Gondor. We have an eternity in front of us and I'll be damned if I let anything short of the gods themselves get in the way of that."

"You are right, as always. I just cannot help worrying. There is so much that I have yet to experience and I do not wish to perish before experiencing everything I possibly can," I said. This was it. No turning back now. I was about to ask my beloved Legolas to make love to me.

"What sort of things love?" Legolas asked.

"Just experiences that everyone has before they die."

"Well, I believe I can help with one of those. May I do something Jasmine," Legolas questioned, looking straight into my eyes. He looked nervous, and I wondred why.

He removed my arms from around him and stood up. "Please, anything but that," I said.

Legolas laughed at my unwillingness to let go of him. "I must my love," he replied.

"Fine, but only if you absolutely must."

Legolas knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. My heart skipped as I grasped what he was doing. Could Legolas be proposing to me? "Jasmine, you have made the past weeks of my life the best I have ever had. I was planning to ask you this when I returned, but now that you are coming with me, I suppose this would be a better time. I love you Jasmine, more than the land, the sun, or the heavens. Would you do me the great honor of agreeing to be my wife, Le no an-uir nîn? (Will you be mine forever)" he asked. He gazed up into my eyes, trying to read my expression.

I had to stop myself from crying out with joy. "Yes, yes, YES! Oh Legolas, you have no idea how happy you have made me," I responded.

Legolas smiled. He looked the happiest that I had ever seen him. He stood until he was at my eye level and kissed me lightly. "Thank you meleth nîn (my love). I'm afraid that I do not have a proper ring picked out for you, but I wish to give you the ring that my father gave my mother for their 50th anniversary, which my mother then gave to me, saying, 'I give you this so that one day you may give it to the special woman in your life. May your years with her be blessed.' You are indeed the special woman in my life so, if you will accept it, the ring is yours."

He took the ring from his own finger and placed it on mine. "Oh, Legolas, it is absolutely perfect! I love it," I said, almost at a loss for words.

"Now, what is it that you wanted to as me earlier," he questioned.

I bit my lip nervously. "I, well, I wished that, if you were ready, that is, if you would make love to me. I've always dreamed of it as a romantic thing with my true love and I thought that we could, before we left, but if you want to wait until we are married then that----" Legolas cut me off with a passionate kiss.

"I had hoped you would ask something along those lines. Are you sure that you are ready love?"

"I could not be surer of anything," I said.

Legolas nodded and pushed me back gently against the bed. We kissed hungrily as our tongues fought for dominance. He trailed kisses down my neck, my chest, and my abdomen, until he finally took me into a world of bliss I could only imagine before.

******

I awoke the next morning to find Legolas's arm around my naked body. I smiled as I remembered last night's events. I was more special and perfect and amazing than I had expected. I thought about every aspect of it. The sex, obviously, the way Legolas constantly asked me if he was hurting me. One would think that having someone ask if they were hurting you would ruin the mood, but it did not. It just made me feel even more special, like Legolas truly cared and was not using me as a way of fulfilling his desires. Then, my mind went to his proposal…..then the shock finally hit me. I was _engaged_ to Legolas. I was going to be Legolas's wife!

Next to me, Legolas stirred and I bent over and kissed his lips softly. He opened his eyes and smiled at me, pulling me back down to lie with him. "Was last night to your satisfaction my love?" Legolas asked with a gleam in his eyes.

"Oh, I suppose so," I teased him.

"Really, then perhaps I shall have to force a better answer out of you," Legolas started to tickle me and I shrieked with laughter.

"Fine! Fine! It was the best night of my life! Please s-stop tickling me!" I said between spasms of laughter.

"As you wish my lady, though you do know the seriousness of our decision, do you not? Last night bound us together. This bond can never be broken, but I do not believe that you would break it," he replied, becoming serious.

"I wouldn't dream of it. My heart is already and my soul is bound to yours. This is just another way to prove the strength of our love. Come, we should probably get dressed. We slept very long," I said. Legolas stood up, offering me his hand and pulled me up. He kissed me, handing me my dress then, went to change into his clothes.

A/n: Hope you liked the chapter. My friend Kim helped me figure out what direction to take this story in because I kind of suffered from writers block for a little while. Yet again, I only own my own characters, sadly.


	8. Realization

Author's Note: I really hope that all of you are enjoying the story. The fellowship finally set off on their journey in this chapter. Yay! Jasmine and Legolas get informed of something that could change their lives forever, Aragorn gets angry and much more. Please review because I've been working really hard to write this story and reviews inspire me to write more. I've tried to update as much as possible, but once my school year starts up, I'm not sure about how often I will be updating my story, but I promise that when I have spare time, I will be working on this.

Additionally, I'm now having to deal with the stress of finding a new competitive swim team to join. My coach has kept me in the sam age/practice group for almost four years, but I've been told by many other coaches that I work harder than many of the swimmers in those higher practice groups. Sadly, they do not make the decisions about who does and does not get moved up.

On the bright side, I've met with coaches of two teams and they both want me on their team, but now I have to decide which one I want to go to and how it will affect my swimming practices and career as a whole. My best friend is also in the same position and we desperately want to be on the same team, butthere are downsides to both teams. One has practices that end at 9:30 in the evening, which would get me home at around 10:30 then I'd have to eat something, shower and finish homework and go to swim practice with my school team at 5 in the morning, meaning I'd have to wake up at 4. The other team is further away, but their practices end almost an hour and a half earlier, but I'd be placed in their best practice group, which makes me wonder how much room there is for me to improve. If anyone has a suggestion I'd love to hear it because this has been driving me crazy.

I'm going to visit my grandfather in rehab today. Hopefully he's feeling better because the doctors were able to take him off a few medications.

CHAPTER 8

Today was the day that we were to set out on our journey. I dressed in Legolas's clothes, tying the belt which my sword was attached to around my waist to draw in the tunic. I rolled the breeches deftly so that they would not drag. I inhaled the sweet, earthy scent that belonged to Legolas. It seemed to waft of his clothes. I shivered involuntarily. I pulled on my tan boots, tucking the breeches into them.

I looked into the mirror that lay on my desk. My cheeks were flushed with nervous excitement. I decided to braid my hair back, in a style similar to Legolas's. It would be much easier to travel if wind was not constantly blowing hair into my eyes. With one last glance to see if I had forgotten anything important, I grabbed my bow, and adjusted the quiver of arrows on my back. I walked out of my room, expecting to see Legolas waiting for me, only to find Aragorn standing outside my door.

"I see you have found traveling clothes Jasmine," he said coolly. His tone caught me off guard. He seemed to be upset with me.

"Is there something wrong Aragorn? Have I offended you in some way?" I asked, confused at his tone.

"I was informed by a source that you and Legolas are bonded," he replied.

I was confused. Why should he be upset at our engagement? He encouraged our love quite strongly as I remembered. "Yes, we are, but what is wrong with that?"

I quickly realized what he had meant when he said, "Think about it Jasmine! You have lain with Legolas before marriage- a week before we are to leave. What will his parents think? You have endangered us all. You could have gotten pregnant Jasmine! What if you are? How could you help us then!" Aragorn let his emotions loose. I hadn't even thought of the possibility of us creating a child in our love. My hand involuntarily dropped to rest on my stomach.

"I'm sorry Aragorn. We didn't think. We were a bit preoccupied. We were just so blissful. Legolas had just proposed to me and I had agreed. I know it was irresponsible, but I cannot regret what happened," I said, trying not to yell.

"I understand Jasmine. I am sorry for my outburst. If it turns out that you are with child then I will do my best to assist you, as I am sure Legolas also will. Congratulations on your engagement though. If you are not too put out with me then may I give you a hug?" Aragorn asked, trying to look contrite.

"Oh I couldn't be mad at you, come here," I said. He smiled and closed the gap between us, his strong arms encircling my body.

"Come, Legolas is waiting for you outside. I'm afraid that he got the brunt of my anger this morning. I suppose he will want to speak with you before we leave."

I followed Aragorn to the stables, where, sure enough, Legolas was waiting. He held the reins of two horses- one for me and one for himself. The horses were already saddled and my saddle bags hung from the saddle of my horse.

Aragorn gave us space, and occupied the rest of the fellowship so that Legolas and I might have a chance to speak in private. Legolas motioned for me to follow him.

"I presume that Aragorn spoke to you of our bonding," Legolas said.

"Yes, he did. I'm so sorry Legolas! I did not think of the consequences. If I did then I would not have….." I said, trailing off.

"Do you regret what happened Jasmine?" Legolas asked.

"No. No, I do not. Why, do you?" I stated. I was determined to stay strong through this situation. Fear gripped me and my stomach flipped as I considered the possibility that he did regret what we did, the passion we had shared.

"No, I do not, and I never could. However, I do worry. What if we did create a child Jasmine? What would we do then?"

"I don't know Legolas and that frightens me. I'm not ready for this," I said.

"Let us not worry ourselves about this just yet. If you are with child then I shall rejoice, for you will be carrying my child and that is by all means a cause of happiness. If not, then we shall enjoy each others company and the happiness of our engagement. We must be strong on this journey. I will protect you no matter what my love," Legolas said, tears on the brims of his eyes. I reached up and wiped them away.

"We should return to the others," I said. Legolas nodded and took my hand, leading me back to the stables.

The other members of the fellowship were gathered, ready to depart. When they saw us, there was a chorus of "congratulations on your engagement Prince Legolas and Princess Jasmine."

"My friends, you do not need to call us Prince and Princess. Our names will do just fine. We shall be companions for quite some time," I said smiling.

"It is a comfort to know that we will share this hard journey with you and Legolas, Jasmine," Frodo said. Merry, Pippin, and Sam nodded their agreement.

"I quite agree Frodo. I am glad to share the road with all of you. I have no doubt that we will succeed in our mission, despite the hardships we will face," I said. Legolas smiled and helped me onto my horse and he then mounted his.

"Come. We'd best be off," Gandalf said, spurring his horse onward. We followed and the residents of Rivendell cheered. I sincerely hoped that we would live to return to such a greeting as we rode away from the one place that I knew. The road would be filled with perils, but I felt oddly safe surrounded by my new companions and I knew that Legolas and I would guard each other even if it cost us our lives, which I prayed that it would not.


	9. The Mines

Author's Note: I've posted two chapters that I worked incredibly hard on, but I haven't gotten a single review, which is kind of depressing so, I would greatly appreciate a review even if it's something simple like "hey, good chapter". Thanks.

CHAPTER 9

We had been traveling for quite a few hours already, when the mountain of Caradhas came into view. We continued riding, but not for long. The mountain was behind us now. Legolas was explaining the geography and places that we would travel through. My mind spun at the thought of all these places.

I laughed as I watched Boromir give the hobbits Merry and Pippin a lesson in swordsmanship. Aragorn sat next to me and laughed along with me. Legolas seemed intent on watching something far in the distance. I could not be sure if he was watching something, or thinking, for he seemed strangely distant to me, which made me uncomfortable.

"If anyone was to ask my opinion, which I note they're _not_," Gimli said, making my chuckle slightly. "I'd say we were taking the _long_ way 'round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Gandalf slightly lowered the pipe he was smoking at the mention of Moria. "No, Gimli," he said. "I would not take the road to Moria unless I had no other choice." The way Gandalf spoke, made me nervous. From his tone, it seemed that there was a doom upon the mines. I did not want to travel there if we had another choice.

I narrowed my eyes. There was a black cloud traveling quite quickly towards us. I noticed then that it was not a cloud, but a group of black birds! Legolas jumped up upon seeing this. He had just realized what I had. No one else had noticed. I forgot that as an elf, my eyes were much keener than theirs. "Crebain, from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.

Aragorn sword and yelled, "Hide!" We scrambled to find places to cover ourselves and Sam, thinking quickly doused the fire. Legolas pulled me towards me and laid on top of me because we could not both fit next to each other in the small space under a shrub.

Gandalf came out of his hiding spot as soon as the birds were gone. 'The passage South is being watched. We must take the path of Caradhas,' he said, gesturing to the large mountain behind us.

As we climbed further up the mountain, the wind picked up speed greatly and snow started to fall quite heavily. Gandalf walked in front of us. He was attempting to make a path in the snow for us, using his staff to clear our way.

As we trudged on, I heard something in the air. "Legolas, do you hear that?" I asked.

"There is a fell voice on the air," Legolas announced. Gandalf listened intently, then yelled out.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled. As he yelled, rocks broke off from the top of the mountain and tumbled towards us at a startling pace. We pressed ourselves to the side of the mountain. The large boulders barely missed us.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled. "Gandalf, we must turn back!"

Gandalf was determined not to turn back. "No." Saruman's voice filled the air again, and more rocks fell from the top of the mountain. We were not quick enough. They fell and buried us in a pile of snow.

"We should travel through the Gap of Rohan. We can take the West road from there to my city, Minas Tirith," Boromir suggested.

"No. That will take us far too close to Isengard. Do you want Saruman sending every creature in his power after us while we travel. No, it would be better to avoid that path," Aragorn said.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it," Gimli suggested again. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

Gandalf contemplated this for a few moments until he finally said, "Let the Ringbearer decide."

I saw Frodo's eyes fill with fear. He looked around at us, trying to make a decision that would be the best for all of us. "We will go through the Mines," he said at last.

"So be it," Gandalf replied, his voice oddly quiet.

The walls of Moria became visible to us soon after we had made our decision. Gandalf ran his hand over a section of rock and told us that the door only mirrored starlight and moonlight. As he moved away from it, a full moon appeared from behind the clouds and lit up the dark rock. An incredibly beautiful door appeared, shining white in the darkness. Along the top was Elven writing. "It says," Gandalf said, "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter."

"What do you suppose that means?" asked Merry, confused.

"Oh, it's quite simple. If you are friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open," Gandalf answered, and began experimenting with different passwords. "Annon edhellen, edro hi amen (Great Door of the Elves, open for us!)!"

Nothing happened.

Gandalf tried again. "Fennas nogothrim, lasto beth lammen (Doorway of Dwarf-Folk, listen to the words of my tongue!)!"

Still nothing happened. "Oh, it's useless," Gandalf said, throwing down his staff and hat in frustration as he sat on a rock to think.

Meanwhile Merry tried to amuse himself by skipping stones across the lake nearby. Pippin picked up a stone and began to do the same, but Aragorn grabbed his hand. "Do not disturb the water," he told them.

Frodo had been sitting on a stone nearby, thinking. He suddenly stood up and walked over to the door. "It's a riddle," he told us. "Speak 'friend' and enter." He turned to Legolas. "What's the Elvish word for friend?" he asked.

"Mellon," Legolas replied. There was a loud rumbling as the door slid open.

"Well that was easy," Pippin commented. I chuckled as we entered the cave.

"Soon Master and Lady Elf," Gimli told Legolas and I. "You will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves. Roaring fires, malt beer, and red meat off the bone!" I exchanged a quick, amused glance with Legolas. "This, my friend," Gimli continued speaking, "is the home of my cousin, Balin. And they call it a mine...a _mine_!"

Boromir looked down as he stepped on something that cracked. "This is no mine," he said, "It's a tomb." The cracking sound that he heard was made by a bone. My stomach churned and I felt the urge to be sick. The thought of such a wonderful place turned into a tomb was frightening. I now understood why I was so apprehensive to come here.

"NO!" Gimli cried, looking around at the piles of bones.

Legolas bent down to examine an arrow protruding from a skull. "Goblins!"

The sound of us unsheathing our swords filled the air.

"We make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here," Boromir said. "Now get out of here, get OUT!"

Frodo did get out, though not at all in the way he expected to. Unnoticed, a large tentacle had emerged from the water and into the cave, having wrapped itself around Frodo's ankle. It pulled him to the lake and dangled him in the air. Then, a large, gruesome creature sprang forth from the water. "Help, Aragorn!" Frodo yelled.

We ran out to help poor Frodo. I slashed at its tentacles, trying to wound it. It roared, but lowered Frodo closer to its mouth. My fiancé carefully shot arrows at the creature. It did not work. He shot one into mouth of the creature. It only flinched slightly.

Boromir charged forward, hacking through the tentacle holding Frodo. He caught Frodo as he fell and shouted, "Get back into the caves!"

I watched as Legolas took one last shot at the beast before running to join us in the caves. Legolas barely slipped in before the creature started banging on the door of the cave. It used so much force that the wall caved in, trapping us in darkness.

"We now have but one choice," Gandalf said in a detached voice, lighting his staff. "We must face the long dark of Moria."


	10. Drums in the Deep

Author's Note:Thank you to all those who reviewed. I'm glad that you like my story. I hope you are having as much fun reading it as I am writing it :)

A special thanks to Caros24084u (again). You have been so inspiring and your reviews always make me smile. I'm glad you like this story so much. Happy late birthday!

I also want to thank yuuki91. Your first review made so much sense to me, Jasmine was acting really comfortable. Somethimes, I need someone to point these things out to me so thanks for helping with that. I'm glad you liked the details :)

My grandfather is getting much better. He started physical therapy and apart from being tired, he's feeling better. The hospital that he is at is amazing. It offers special concerts and events almost every day. He has a private room and sometimes gets lonely, but he has lots of visitiors. Also, he mostly speaks Hungarian, which I also speak fluently, so, i've had to act as a translator sometimes- that is until we found a Hungarian nurse who really enjoys speaking to him. That made his day. They hope to release him next week. Thank all of you for your kind words.

As for my swim team, my best friend and I decided to go to a team called the Barracudas. The coach was thrilled to hear back from us and said that we have a garuenteed spot in the senior national practice group, which is the fastest group. I emailed my old coach telling him that I was leaving. He responded, saying "Thanks for the email. Good luck," When we told our personal trainer, he said "asshole". I was torn, I mean I don't like to think badly of people, but it was kind of true. Anyhow, I'm off to a better place so I'm excited and I can't wait to see my old coach again- after I've improved my times, and leave him in awe. lol. So that was my ramble. Enjoy the story (if you didn't just skip over this completely)

CHAPTER 10

"Be on your guard," Gandalf cautioned. "It is a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence goes unnoticed. For there are fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world."

We continued through the dark caves, constantly on edge. Legolas never strayed from my side. I could tell he was just as uneasy here as I was. My ears pricked at the slightest sound. I knew my excellent hearing was an asset and I intended to make good use of it. Nothing would be able to sneak up on us with me and Legolas listening for danger.

Legolas and I took the watch that night. I wasn't too tired so, I hoped that staying awake all night would not have too much of an affect on me. "Legolas, I'm scared," I admitted.

He pulled me close to his body. "I would be worried if you weren't. I am too. It seems that I flinch at every sound. I will feel better once we are out in the open with fresh air. Elves were not meant to be trapped underground."

"I know exactly what you mean. I worry about Frodo though. He's so small and young. What if the ring corrupts him?" I asked. It was nice to finally voice my fears.

"I trust Frodo. He may be small but he makes up for his size with courage and strength. The ring will undoubtedly have an effect, but he will not lose himself to the evil," Legolas replied, squeezing my shoulders. I could only hope that Legolas was right. I sighed and leaned back against him.

"Do you feel alright love? Are you ill rested or in any pain?" Legolas asked. Having someone worry about me was almost a relief.

"I am fine. I'm about as well rested as anyone could be while in this place," I said. "You do not need to worry."

"I know, but I cannot help thinking about what Aragorn spoke to us about earlier. I am worried about what effect this strain and danger might have on you, if you are indeed with child. I'm sorry. I should not be worrying you with this. You have enough troubling you already," he said, looking into my eyes.

"Legolas, you do not have to fear telling me what troubles you. We are to be married. As your wife, I must share your burdens. Please, if there is ever anything, and I mean anything, troubling you, come speak to me and I shall listen," I said.

We continued our conversation until dawn, when everyone had risen. We ate a quick breakfast, which I was grateful for. It renewed some of my lost strength from staying awake the whole night. Soon after that, we set out to continue our passage through the mines.

We soon reached a rather large open space. "Let me risk a little more light," Gandalf said, and more light emanated from his staff. I gasped, and looked around in awe. "Behold the great realm and dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf."

As we walked through the hall, Gimli spotted a ray of light shining through a chamber. "Oh!"

"Gimli!" Gandalf called.

Gimli did not pay attention to him, running into the chamber. He stopped in front of an ornate tomb, surrounded by corpses and knelt before it. "No," he uttered. "No...NO!" He started sobbing.

Gandalf bent over the crypt and translated the writing on it. "Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria."

"He is dead then. It is as I feared."

We started as we heard a loud noise. We whipped around and saw Pippin standing, frightened, near a well. A skeleton was sitting on the side; its head had just fallen off. We watched as the body fell, then the bucket...making noise all the way down. We held our breath as Pippin looked up at Gandalf, who cried, "Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your stupidity!"

Drums...drums in the deep. We stood terrified, dreading what was happening. Orcs could be heard outside the doors. Aragorn and Boromir ran to bar the doors. A roar was heard. "They have a cave troll," Boromir yelled as he blocked the doors with axes.

"Stay close to Gandalf!" Aragorn yelled. We drew our weapons, Frodo's elven sword shined blue. The orcs pounded on the doors.

"Aaarrgh!" Gimli shouted. "Let them come! For there is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath!"

The orcs broke the door down. Legolas and Aragorn fired their first arrows. As the other orcs ran in, I lashed her sword out, beheading the foe in front of me. I fought hard, keeping my eye on the hobbits. Sam was whacking orcs with frying pans, 'I think I'm gettin' the hang of this!' he said happily. I smiled and dodged an arrow. Then, the cave troll burst through the door, taking whatever chance he could to swing his chain at next thing I knew, Frodo had been stabbed in the stomach with a spear.

The hobbits cried out and ran at the troll. Legolas drew two arrows and nodded to Pippin, who then took his chance to stab the troll's neck. Legolas fired his arrows and pierced the throat of the troll, which gave a great roar fell. By this time, the orcs had been slain. We were free, for the moment. Aragorn crawled over to Frodo. "Oh, no," I heard him sayturning Frodo over. We were surprised when Frodo gasped for breath.

"I'm okay," he said. "I'm alright, I'm not hurt."

"You should be dead," Aragorn said, awe touching his features. "That spear would have skewered a wild boar."

Gandalf walked over. "I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye,"

Frodo unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a shirt of Mithril chain mail. Gimli gasped, "Mithril! You are full of surprises Master Baggins."

Orcs were heard once again outside the doors. "To the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm!" Gandalf ordered. We fled through the back door of the chamber, followed by a large party of orcs. We were surrounded. Then, a fiery red light appeared at the end of the hall.. This meant trouble to the orcs, they scattered in all directions. The light grew brighter and nearer.


	11. Balroq

Author's Note:So, they finally get out of the caves, but poor Jasmine is in for some bad luck. Legolas and Jasmine are in for a big surprise in the next chapter, which I should be posting tomorrow if everything goes well. I've tried to use dialogue from the books and movie to be true to the plot, but some people seem to find that boring. Is it? Having the dialogue there also helps me create a mood for the chapter and it keeps me from going off on random plot tangents that lead no where and then I get stuck and have to discontinue the story :(

Anyway, Thanks for all the reviews (again). I've tried to hint at the surprise in this chapter if anyone wants to guess what the surprise is, write it in a review and I'll tell you if you got it right at the beginning of the next chapter.

While writing this, I discovered a new band called Apocalyptica. They're a string ensemble that covers metal and rock songs. It sounds weird but it's actually really good. That and I've also been listening to I Need A Hero *sigh* I wish Legolas was real so that he could be my hero........ok. Enjoy!

CHAPTER 11

"What is this new devilry?" Boromir asked, panting.

Gandalf was silent, before answering, "A Balrog. A demon of the ancient world. This foe is beyond any of you!"

We ran through the hall and a passageway, which led us to a flight of stairs, which crumbled beneath us. "Lead them on, Aragorn. The bridge is near!" Aragorn hesitated. "Do as I say! Swords are no more use here."

I wondered what type of beast we must be facing if swords were useless against it. I turned to Legolas, my heart and eyes full of fear. He clasped my hand in his as we ran down another staircase. About halfway down, there was a large gap. Legolas jumped to the other side, followed by Gandalf and I. An arrow was fired, landing at their feet. Legolas and Aragorn fired back at them. Boromir grabbed Merry and Pippin as he leapt forward, landing safely on the other side. Aragorn threw Sam over, who Boromir caught. Aragorn began to lift Gimli, but Gimli protested. "Nobody tosses a dwarf!" he cried, and leapt to the other side, landing just on the edge. He began to fall backwards.

Legolas grabbed his beard. "Not the beard!" Gimli roared, but Legolas managed to pull him back up. Some of the stones broke off and fell. Now only Aragorn and Frodo remained on the other side, but a larger gap stood between them and us.

Rock from the ceiling cracked off and fell on the bridge, leaving them trapped. Aragorn and Frodo shifted their weight, making their part of the bridge lean forward. As it hit our side, they jumped off and continued down the stairs with us. "Over the bridge! Fly!" Gandalf ordered.

The bridge was so thin that they had to cross single file, Gandalf tailing behind. He stopped halfway through as the deamon emerged from the flames. "You cannot pass!" he shouted.

"Gandalf!" Frodo shouted. Fear seized me. Gandalf could not do this!

"I am a servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. The dark fire will not avail you! Flame of Udûn!"

The Balrog roared and struck Gandalf, who deflected the blow, shattering the Balrog's sword. "Go back to the shadow!" Gandalf shouted. The Balrog drew out his fiery whip and lashed it out.

"YOU...SHALL NOT...PASS!" Gandalf hit the bridge with his staff and sword, cracking the rock. The side of the bridge where the Balrog stood collapsed and, the deamon fell into the darkness. Gandalf turned around, satisfied, but his ankle was caught by a lash from the whip. He caught himself on the edge of the bridge, hanging on with his arms, little strength left in him.

"No!" I cried with Frodo,who started to run to Gandalf.

"Frodo, no!" I shouted, grabbing him and restraining him. Frodo clutched my arms in terror as he silently watched what happened to Gandalf.

"Fly you fools," Gandalf said, letting go of the bridge and falling into the darkness. My heart sank. Gandalf was dead. This was impossible!

"NOO!" Frodo screamed. I pulled him to the East Gate, our exit. Aragorn was shocked. He stared at the bridge in disbelief. The twangs of arrows could be heard again.

"Aragorn!" Boromir yelled.

Aragorn finally realized what he was doing, and followed us out of the dark cave.

I choked back tears and yells as we stood on the rocks outside, blinking at the light. I looked at my friends. Sam was crying; Merry and Pippin were comforting each other. Boromir was attempting to restrain Gimli. Legolas was in shock. Aragorn stood, cleaning his sword. I felt a rush of anger towards him. Did he feel no grief for Gandalf?

Finally he sheathed his blade, then turned to us. "Legolas, Jasmine," he said. "Get them up."

Boromir looked at him in shock. "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!"

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs!" Aragorn said. "We must reach the Woods of Lothlorien." Then his voice softened. "Come Boromir, Legolas, Jasmine, get them up."

I slowly walked to Sam and helped him stand. "On your feet, Sam," I said as gently as I could.

Frodo was standing away from us. He turned, a tear falling down his grimy face. I knew that he was silently begging to stop; to be in the Shire again.

We ran quickly through the Dimrill Dale and to the woods. I was feeling sick to my stomach, but I walked on, in awe as we entered the majestic woods.

"Stay close young hobbits!" Gimli warned. "They say there's a great sorceress who lives in these woods. An elf-witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell and are never seen again." I trembled at the thought of this. Gimli continued, "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"

Just then, an arrow was pointed at Gimli's face. Elves holding bows suddenly appeared from the trees. We stopped, frightened. Legolas and I strung our bows. One blonde elf stepped forward. "The dwarf breaths so loud we could have shot him in the dark," he said.

Aragorn bowed to the elf. "Haldir o Lórien (Haldir of Lorien),' he said. 'Henion aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn (We come here for help. We need your protection)."

"Aragorn," Gimli said, eyeing the elves nervously, "these woods are perilous! We should go back."

Haldir turned to him. "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back." He turned to look at Frodo. "Come, she is waiting"

Haldir led us through the forest. I breathed heavily as we walked. My stomach felt very stange. I wanted to throw up and I was dizzy, in fact I could barely walk. My body started to give in. I had to stop and lean against an aging stone wall for support.

"Come," Haldir said. "We must not delay." I looked up at him, trying not to fall down to the ground.

"Daro (stop), Haldir," Legolas said to him. "There is something wrong." Legolas rushed to me. He took me in his arms and I leaned against him. "What is wrong Jasmine?"

I stared at him, not answering. Finally, I had to push myself away from him and be sick. I then proceeded to lose consciousness in Legolas's arms.


	12. Surprise

Yay! Jasmine and Legolas are in for a huge surprise. Caros24084u and SerenityMoonlight are right, but I won't put the correct answer at the top, that would ruin the surprise for anyone else who is reading this. Your prize is, hmmmm, oh I know! You get virtual cookies, or a virtual cake, or something sweet.

It's hard to believe that I will be starting school in only a few days. Oh, and I get to make a presentation on Italy because I went there on spring break.....it was amazing, but I'm not sure if I want to give a whole presentation on it. I was cornered into doing this by the Italian teacher. Then again, my other friend has to make a presentation on China for the Chinese class. We have too many languages offered at my school. I promise that I will try to update as much as I can, but it will be less often because I am in all honors classes, on two swim teams, and I will have classes with my personal trainer, then I might be in clubs so, I'll have a lot going on. As my good friend John says, I'm an over over achiever lol.

So, last night, I was listening to Into the West by Annie Lennox from the Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King soundtrack and I started sobbing. My boyfriend quoted it to me, though I didn't know what it was at the time, before he and his parents moved to England. I literally sat in my room crying for hours, just listening to the song, thinking of him. I can't even reach him anymore, except for occasional emails. He doesn't have a cellphone anymore but I'm desperate to hear his voice. It's been a year since he left but neither of us has gotten over it. I wish that he was back here with me, but I know he can't come back....God, I miss him so much.

I swear that I will make time to update though. Whenever I get a chance I'll post a chapter. I hope you are all enjoying the story. Review!!!

CHAPTER 12

I awoke to find myself lying in a strange room. I was small but pretty well lit. I was on a bed, perhaps the most comfortable bed I'd ever been in. Then again, it could be my sore body speaking. I broaned as I tried to sit up. Legolas was by my side in an instant. "My love, you had me so worried," he said.

"What happened? Where are the others?" I croaked out. My throat was dry and I _still _felt sick to my stomach.

"You threw up then lost consciousness. As for the others, they are resting. That doesn't matter. All I care about right now is your health. Drink this first; it will give you some strength back. Do not worry, it is only water with a spell placed on it," he said, lifting the glass to my lips. I took a long drink, draining the cup. "Oh, poor Jasmine, you must have been thirsty. Tell me, how are you feeling?" Legolas asked. His eyes searched my face for some sign of what was wrong with me.

"I feel strange. My stomach hurts and I feel as if I cannot keep anything down, not even t he water you gave me….." I trailed off and searched for a bucket of some sorts. Luckily, there was one placed by the bedside. I leaned over swiftly and emptied the contents of my stomach into it.

"Jasmine! What's wrong?" Legolas exclaimed. He was completely panicked, I could see it on his face, in his eyes. I guessed that my face probably looked similar.

"I do not know Legolas. Are there any healers here who could tell me what is wrong with me?" I asked. I needed to know what was wrong. If I was dying, well, then I would make sure that I lived my remaining days to the fullest. Maybe this was as simple as a stomach flu. Wait, did the stomach flu even exist here? This could be bad, very bed. I had to prepare myself for whatever news awaited me.

"There is a healer taking care of you. He said that he wanted to wait until you were awake to tell us what he had discovered. You should have told me that you were not feeling well earlier. I would have stopped with you. We could have rested," Legolas said pain in his eyes.

"Do not say that. You should not blame yourself for this. I would have told you, but I did not want to be a burden to anyone. It started while we were in the mines of Moria. I did not want to prolong our stay there so, I kept quiet," I said.

"While that was very thoughtful of you, it was not wise. If you'll excuse me for just a minute, I will find the healer. Do not fear, my love, whatever ails you, we will make it through this together," Legolas replied. He kissed my lips lightly, despite my having been sick moments before and left the room, closing the door quietly, to search for the healer.

Soon after he had left, the door opened gently. Legolas and a male elf dressed in white breeches, tunic, and cape entered. Legolas sat next to me again, and helped me to sit up, letting me lean against his shoulder.

"It seems that there is much I have to discuss with you two," he said. His voice was smooth, almost musical and his deep brown eyes were compassionate.

"Please, tell us what ails her," Legolas said, begging the man for an answer. Thank foodness that Legolas was the one to ask. I was afraid that if I opened my mouth I would start crying uncontrolably.

"Prince Legolas, Princess Jasmine, nothing ails you, yet it shall not disappear for some time, this is the first one in centuries," he replied cryptically. I froze. What could he mean? If nothing ailed me then why should it continue? I wanted answers.

"I don't understand," I stated.

"My Lady, after using magic to do some tests, I discovered what was causing you to be sick constantly…..congratulations, you are with child. I shall leave you two alone to discuss this, but I will be arranging some things for you. I shall wait outside until you are ready to hear more," he said, slipping out the door.

I was so shocked that I could not speak. Legolas's child grew within me. I knew this would cause many problems for us on our journey now. How could I fight later on? Not only would I not be able to defend myself, but my child and I would be in constant danger, seeing as I would become a prime target.

"Say something, please Legolas. I need to know what you are thinking." I begged. I hoped he was not mad at me.

Legolas started to laugh and his face broke into a huge grin. "Jasmine, this is wonderful. You are carrying my child....our child. I shall be a father. You have no idea how happy I am," Legolas said, looking at my stomach in wonder. I smiled happily. Good, he was not mad.

"Thank goodness, I was afraid that you would be upset," I confessed. When I said this, he looked up at me, eyes dancing happily.

"I could never be upset about this. A child is a blessing and as an added bonus, you are the mother of my child," he smiled at me and kissed me. He then placed his hand on my stomach. I smiled up at him and placed my hand on top of his.

The healer walked in then, smiling when he saw our expressions. "I have brought some herbs. These will help prevent the sickness. These will strengthen the womb, and these will help bring away the afterbirth," he said, gesturing to different bags. "Put the herbs in your water and drink them like tea. I am also giving you swaddling blankets, incase you give birth wile on your journey."

The healer set the things at the foot of my bed and left the room again. "Legolas, what about telling the others?" I asked. I could only imagine how Aragorn would react. He would be absolutely furious. No, he could not know until it was the right time. I wondered when that would be. Knowing Aragorn, there would never be a good time to tell him. He'd probably save the yelling for Leoglas, saying something like he didn't want to agitate me while I was with child. Yes, that probably would be the case.

"Perhaps we should wait a while. I think it would be for the best."

"I agree. But now can I please get out of this room? I need to stretch my legs." Legolas laughed at that and offered me his hand. I took it and he helped me stand. We walked together to the room where the others were fast asleep. Legolas picked up a book and we went outside to read together once again, like we had in Rivendell.

Author's Note:So, Jasmine is pregnant and Legolas is....surprisingly happy. How will the others react? What about Aragorn? Check back today or tomorow. I'll probably have another chapter posted soon.

Peace, kate


	13. Prediction

Author's Note: Yet again, thanks for all the amazing reviews. Guess what! I've got about 27 chapters of this written, waiting to be revised and posted. That means that I've made my job of posting stuff here during the school year a lot easier :). All I need to do now is go over my work and then post it.

In this chapter, Jasmine and Legolas get a scary prophecy from Lady Galadriel. How will it affect them? Read to find out. Jasmine has a mini panic attack, but Legolas, being the amazing person he is, comforts her. The fellowship find out about Jasmine's pregnancy from.......someone. What will their reactions be???? Enjoy!!!!!

CHAPTER 13

I sat alone in the woods resting my hand on my still flat stomach. It was still hard to believe that I carried a little life inside me. A voice brought me from my thoughts.

It was Lady Galadriel. "Congratulations on your pregnancy Jasmine. I do wish to speak with you though, about your future," she said.

"Oh, alright. Have you seen my future? Is something bad going to happen that you are going to warn me about?" I asked, fear coursing through me. I had heard much of what Lady Galadriel foresaw and much of it ended in despair.

"I did see your future. There was confusion. You lay on the ground. You were injured. Legolas healed you, but he worried because you were close to giving birth. When you arrived at Minas Tirith, Legolas went off to fight. Your labor will signal the start of the final battle. The child will be born when the victor has been decided; however, your life hangs on the point of a needle. If evil wins, you shall perish, but if good prevails, you shall live a long, happy life with Legolas with many children. Though I fear that future is slipping away. The dark forces grow stronger and I hope that good can overcome them. Only time will tell," she said, and after she had finished speaking, she turned around and left.

I bolted upright. I ran to find Legolas. He needed to know and I feared that if I did not tell somebody about this, I would go insane. I found him speaking with Aragorn and Boromir. I hesitated a moment to catch my breath then said, "Legolas, I must speak to you. Lady Galadriel has just told me something that you must know." My voice was shaky. Aragorn and Boromir exchanged knowing glances, their expressions turning to concern as they took in my appearance. Legolas was with me in an instant.

"Come, we shall find a spot suitable and then you can tell me everything she said," he said. His arm was wrapped tightly around my waist, as if to protect what lay inside and to hold me to him forever.

Once we reached a small clearing, we stopped. Legolas sat down, drawing me into his lap. "What did she say Jasmine?"

"She said that my future holds confusion and battles. She said I would be injured but you would heal me. Then, she….she," I said, tears spilling down my face.

"What, what did she say? I know that it is painful for you to say, but I must know," he said. He brushed tears from my eyes with his thumb.

"She said that I would go into labor at the start of the final battle and that you would go off to fight. She said my labor would be long and painful and that my fate balanced on the point of a needle! If evil wins then I shall die, the child will survive, but it will grow up in a corrupt world," I said, fear lacing my voice. Legolas drew a sharp breath.

"I can't believe it. Why do the fates try us so? Wait, you never said what would happen if good won," Legolas pointed out.

"If good is to prevail then both the baby and I will survive and you and I will get married. She also said that we would have many more children," I replied.

"Then, let us hope that good wins. I can feel the darkness in the air, but I know in my heart that good will indeed win. I won't let anything take you away from me," he whispered.

"Legolas," I said quietly.

"What is it my love?"

"I'm afraid of the labor. I've hear terrible stories of the pain and suffering that women go through. What if I'm not strong enough?" I said finally.

"Jasmine, do not fear. You are one of the strongest women I've ever met and I swear to you that as soon as it is safe for me to leave the battlefield, I will rush up to your room and stay with you until our child is born. I know that you can do it, and just think that at the end of all the pain, we will have a child, something that we created together," he said.

"Yes, that is worth it," I replied. I kissed him lightly. "We should return. I know Frodo is anxious to leave."

Legolas did not reply. He just took my hand and guided me back the way we had come. When we returned, we found Lady Galadriel and lord Celeborn giving cloaks to the rest of our friends.

"Ah, here they are. These cloaks are for you. May they shield you from unfriendly eyes." We accepted the cloaks, Legolas helping to fasten mine. Although we had only been here for 5 days, I was ready to leave.

Galadriel talked to us each in turn, giving each of us a gift. To Legolas she gave a bow and quiver with many arrows. To Merry and Pippin she gave daggers of the Noldorim. She gave Sam elven rope made of hithlain. Frodo was given a phial which held the light of the elves' most beloved star. Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli's gifts were a mystery. She then turned to me

"Jasmine, I have already told you your future, but I have another gift for you. This is a cradle that you may attach to your saddle. It has strong shielding charms placed around it. Nothing harmful will be able to penetrate them. Not even Saruman himself. I hope it serves you well," she said.

"Thank you Lady Galadriel. This is a wonderful gift. I am forever grateful," I said, looking at Legolas who looked pleased and relieved. This would be the perfect way to ensure that our child did not cross into harm's way while we traveled after it was born.

I felt all eyes on me as Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn walked into the misty forest, leaving us to continue our journey.

Boromir was the first to speak. "A cradle? Why would you be needing a cradle?"

Legolas and I looked at each other as everyone gazed at us, waiting for one of us to speak. Legolas moved to me and put his arms around me, hands resting on my stomach. "We need a cradle because Jasmine is a month and a half pregnant with my child," he said.

I waited for the yelling and accusations to begin, but they did not come. I expected Aragorn to be the first to yell at me, but instead, he came up to me and said, "Well, it seems that congratulations are in order. You and Legolas will make fine parents." I hugged him and he smiled down at me.

Before I knew it, Merry and Pippin were hugging my waist. Fordo and Sam were congratulating me and Boromir was smiling at me.

"This is wonderful news in such a dark time. Congratulations. Jasmine, Legolas, know that I will do everything I possibly can to make sure that Jasmine stays safe during this journey," said Boromir.

"Yes, we'll all be watching out for Jasmine. This is a dangerous road for a pregnant woman, but I cannot bear to make her stay behind anywhere, knowing how I would miss her and what a grouch Legolas would be, having to leave her behind somewhere," Aragorn said. We laughed at that. Legolas pouted and I kissed him.

"I'm glad you would be grouchy, that means you would be missing me," I said. He smiled as we picked up our packs and continued on our long journey.


	14. Captured

Author's Note: So thanks for all of your amazing reviews! Thay all make me smile :). So, yesterday, I went to see Julie and Julia. It had a good plot, but I kind of felt like it ended abruptly. My friend and I were laughing because the challenge Julie took on is totally something I would do. 424(ish) recipes in 365 days anyone? Then again, she had to do some crazy things like bone a duck and kill live lobsters, which I would not be able to do-ever.

Now, I'm headed off to see my personal trainer. I have absolutely no idea what we will be working on today.... last time, I got to use a special snorkel and we worked on my head position while I swam about 16 laps. Then, we worked on my starts. He told me we might work on butterfly today, which I am dreading. I love the stroke butterfly, but he wants me to swim 8 laps. Even 4 laps starts to get to me. By 8, I feel like my arms are about to fall off......sounds like fun right? So, I'm hoping he forgot about that and decides to work on my flipturns of technique with me instead.

This chapter finally has some action. There's an "epic battle sequence", as my teacher described it when we were watching the movies in his class. And, oh no, something happens to Jasmine. Read and review!!!

CHAPTER 14

We all loaded our belongings into three boats. The elves had given us some more food, which the hobbits were very excited about. I laughed at the enthusiam they showed over something so simple. Legolas, Gimli and I were in the first boat. The second held Boromir, Merry and Pippin. The third would go to Aragorn, Sam, and Frodo. The boats were of the finest make and were a beautiful shade of weathered white. The paddles had intricate designs on them and were surprisingly light weight. I was glad to be traveling by water. For some odd reason, it had always soothed me, and today it seemed to calm my raw nerves, although I still paid attention to our surroundings, keeping watch for Orcs.

We left the magical forest and paddled down the Anduin. Gimli was fawning over his gift from Lady Galadriel. Legolas and I smiled at each other. As I turned towards my love, I could have sworn that I heard a noise. I whipped my head towards the forest. I saw a slight movement in the trees and bushes. It may have been my mind and eyes playing tricks on me, but to be sure, I asked Legolas.

"Legolas, did you see that movement in the bushes?" I asked.

"I did. It may have just been an animal. I would not worry about it too much for now," Legolas said, quickly clasping my hand in his and squeezing it, while he paddled with the other.

I tried to forget about the dark feeling I had, but it remained with me a while longer. My thoughts of that though, disappeared when we came to a canyon with two enormous statues of kings guarding it. From the corner of my eye, I saw Aragorn nudge Frodo lightly and say, "Frodo, the Argonath! Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kin."

When we finally reached the foot of Amon Hen, we gently paddled into the shore. There, we set up a camp. Aragorn then started to outline our travel plan. He had decided to cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats in the forset, then continue on foot. We would approach Mordor on from the north.

"Oh, yes?" Gimli said. "It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!"

I looked up, facing Gimli. I was alarmed at what I had heard. A labyrinth? Of razor sharp rocks? That sounded like a terrible passage, but it was the only option now. We could not continue any other way. I wondered what else we would have to endure to reach the land of Mordor.

Gimli continued, "Festering, stinking marshlands far as the eye can see!" Oh wonderful, marshlands. I almost didn't want to hear what else we would be traveling through, but if this was the only way, then I would have to endure it.

"That is our road," Aragorn said, his voice calm and steady. I glanced at him, wondering if he had lost his mind. Surely, he would not make us go through all that. He had to have another plan in mind. "Now I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

"Recover my...?!" Gimli growled. "Grrr!"

Despite Aragorn's plan to leave at night, my feeling of unease was growing worse. I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Something evil was at work here. "We should leave now," I said, hoping someone would agree with me.

"No," Aragorn replied sternly, "Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness."

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me Aragorn," I said. "A shadow and threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near……I can feel it!" Legolas came up to me and put his arms around my shoulders.

"Indeed, I have felt it too. We would be safer if we did go to the eastern shore now," Legolas said, backing me up.

Aragorn looked around for a moment. He looked as if he wanted to comfort us, but those words of comfort never came.

Merry walked back into our small campsite, returning with some firewood he had been sent to gather. As he put the wood down, he looked around the forest. "Where's Frodo?" he said, alarm coating his voice.

Sam jumped up with a start. We looked around, trying to find him. Our gaze fell on Boromir's area. It was empty. His shield lay against a tree.

"Everyone," Aragorn called to us, "We must search for Frodo. Spread out. Legolas, go with Jasmine. Protect her. I have a feeling that your suspicions were right."

Legolas and I grabbed our bows, adjusting our quivers on our backs. I also laced my sword into my belt just in case. We ran from the camp, scaling the countryside to find Fordo and Boromir. I worried about what would happen. "Legolas, I worry for Frodo. I've seen the way Boromir looks at the ring. What if he tries to take it from Frodo? The ring has taken control of men stronger than Boromir," I said, voicing my worries.

"Those are my exact fears. Please, don't run too fast. I worry about you and our child. Save your energy. We may need it in the near future, for I fear that we will be attacked." Legolas replied, quickly placing his hand on my stomach. He took my hand in his and continued on at a slower pace. Somewhere in the distance, we heard a horn blowing. We were under attack!

My heart nearly stopped when we found Merry and Pippin. They were surrounded by Urûk-hai. Boromir was defending them. "Boromir!" I cried. I quickly notched an arrow and let it loose. It hit one of the Urûk-hai in the middle of the forehead. He fell down, dead. Legolas and I loosed arrow upon arrow, but it seemed that no matter how many we killed, more came to take their place.

I covered my mouth, concealing a shriek as an arrow pierced Boromir's armor. Boromir fell to his knees, gasping. He stood back up, bravely and tried to defend the hobbits again. Another arrow pierced Boromir's flesh, this time in his stomach. As this happened, Merry and Pippin charged at the creatures. The Urûk-hai picked them up easily, slinging them over their shoulders. I cried out, I could not let them be taken. I whipped my sword out of its sheath and charged at the Urûk-hai. Legolas was busy fighting off a group rapidly approaching us. As I charged upon them, I was picked up by one, as easily as Merry and Pippin. I realized what a grave mistake I had made as they carried me off with them.

"Legolas!" I screamed as the Urûk-hai carried us away. There was no way that Legolas could catch up with us, not now. Fear gripped me. I wasn't worried for myself, but for the fate of my child. How could I have done something this stupid!? Legolas looked in the direction of my cry. His perfect face erupted into an expression of pain and horror as he saw me being carried away. He too knew that he would not be able to save me now. I felt hot tears drip down my face as I was taken away from safety and my fiancé.

Author's Note: So, Jasmine was taken from Legolas. Don't worry though, I'm not going to be too mean. However, they will be seperated for a few chapters, but there is a rather sweet reunion in store. Review!


	15. The Ent

Author's Note: So, the workout with my personal trainer was not as bad as I thought it would be, thankfully. I did not have to swim 8 laps butterfly. Instead, he worked with me on sprinting freestyle and my technique for butterfly. I got to use these really cool fins, except it basicly had two fins welded together to make one giant fin. I got so much power from it when I swam, it was cool. Then, to make things even better, I beat my personal best time for the 50 yard backstroke by almost 4 seconds, which is a lot of time in the swimming world. Usually, in 50 yard races, it is a big deal if someone drops even half a second, because it is such a short race that to drop time, everything has to be perfect. So, that made me really happy.

After that, I got to hang out with my best friend all day. We just walked around her town and we ran in to some of her friends. It was weird though, because all of them know about me...and kind of worship me because I'm their friend's best friend. Weird right? So then, her guy friend, Jordan, comes up to me, hugs me, while spinning me around and screams "Katie-Kat", which is a nickname reserved for my best friends to use. Then, her boyfriend, who I'm pretty sure hates me, showed up. I swear, if looks could kill then I wouldn't be writing this right now, but then, my best friend, Kim started talking about how we are going to watch Lord of the Rings :) today. She explained that I was the one to get her into the books and movies. Then, it was like her boyfriend suddenly loved me...... it was awkward, but then again, that just goes to show... The Lord of the Rings has powers..... lol.

I'd like to thank all my reviewers and readers, but there are two in particular who I would like to thank. Those people are Caros24084u and SerenityMoonlight. Your reviews always put a smile on my face so, I wanted to thank you and tell you how much those reviews mean to me. I'll admit it, I'm a review junkie...but they inspire me to write more, knowing that people actually really like my writing. So, thanks again. :)

Ok. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

CHAPTER 15

I found myself being constantly jerked around with the motion of the running of my captors. I had tried to locate the hobbits, but they were beyond the range of my sight and it hurt for me to move. My neck was stiff so, I could not move it very far in any direction. I hoped that when we stopped, if we stopped, I would at least be able to stretch my stiff muscles. I could tell that I had many bruises that would pain me for quite a while, although I did not quite know the full extent of my injuries and part of me did not want to. I felt the urge to stretch, to relieve my muscles right there, but I did not dare to do anything, for fear of angering the orc carrying me.

After continuing on for quite some time, all the while, I was boucing up and down sickeningly. Finally, the captain held his hand up, signaling to the rest of the company. They all halted. For Orcs, they were surprisingly obediant of their master. Perhaps they were afraid of him.

"What it is?" One of the orcs questioned as he looked around. I felt my stomach churn and realized with horror that I was about to be sick. I had not had a proper meal in such a long time and my herbed water to prevent my morning sickness had been left with Legolas. Discretely, I leaned away from my captors and was silently sick. I wished that the child would not have this effect on me. Thankfully, none of them noticed, but I almost hoped that one of them would slip in it and injure himself. Then, at least, I would not feel so pathetic.

The lead orc growled. "Manflesh," he said, "they've picked up our trail."

"Move!" One orc yelled to the others. The sickening swaying and pounding of feet picked up again. _Manflesh,_ I thought. A wave of hope coursed throughout me. This meant that Legolas and Aragorn were coming after us! With Gimli, of course. As we were carried by the orcs, I managed to spot Merry and Pippin, who were not too far away from me. Merry had a rather nasty gash on his forehead, but Pippin seemed to be unharmed, thankfully. Pippin tore the green leaf off of his elven cloak. It was a brilliant idea. This would give Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli a sign of where we had been.

We stopped suddenly, as it began to grow dark. "We ain't goin' no further till we've had a breather," One orc said, panting.

"Get a fire going!" the commander shouted to his army.

We were all thrown to the ground roughly. Thankfully, I landed on my knees and not my stomach. I did not want to risk hurting the baby that grew within me. I then noticed that my hands were bound with a crude, scratchy rope. With my hands tied, I slowly attempted to crawl over to Merry and Pippin.

"Merry, are you alright?" Pippin whispered.

"I think we might have made a mistake leaving the Shire, Pip," Merry replied, his voice weak and raspy. Pippin and I smiled at his statement.

"How about you Pippin?" I asked.

"I'm not hurt," he responded.

"Good." I said. Soon after I spoke a large groan could be heard coming from the trees.

"What's that?" Pippin asked, frightened.

"It's the trees….." Merry said, trailing off. I was in awe. How could trees make such a sound?

"Do you remember to Old Forest? On the borders of Buckland? Folks used to say there was something in the woods that made the trees grow tall...and come alive!"

"Alive!?" I exclaimed. The thought of trees coming alive was almost impossible to believe, but I had to remember that I was not on Earth any more, I was in a world where anything was possible, well almost anything. We quickly tured our attention to the orcs as they broke out in an argument.

"Storm it," one said. "We ain't had nothin' but maggoty bread for three stinkin' days!"

"Yeah, Why can't we have some meat?" An orc looked hungrily in our direction. "What 'bout them? They're fresh," he said. "Oooo, they look tasty!"

"They are not for eating!" the head orc growled. Pippin, Merry and I were yanked upwards roughly.

Another orc spoke up. "What about their legs?" he said. "They don't need those."

"Aw, c'mon! Just a mouthful!" another orc said, pulling out his hatchet.

"Get back, orc scum!" the leader commanded, swinging his sword out, taking off the other's head. As the orc's head and body fell, the leader cried, "Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"

The feeding frenzy began as they feasted on the flesh of the orc. We were left unattended and began to crawl into the forest. One orc cornered us, trying to get a meal all to himself. As he drew a dagger, horses charged into our midst. Somehow, we managed to cut our bonds on an axe that was almost burried in the ground. We ran for the cover of the forest. I tried my best to protect Merry and Pippin. The horsemen would not see them, they were too small. They could be crushed. Thankfully, we made it to the cover of the forest safely.

We collapsed against a tree, trying to regain our breath. "Did we lose him? I think we lost him," Pippin said.

Suddenly, the orc came thrashing out of the trees. "Where are you?" he cried. "I'm gonna rip off your filthy little heads! Come out!" He spotted us, making me incredibly nervous. We had to run, to get away. "I'm gonna get you!"

"Up the trees! Quickly," I cried, climbing deftly into the tall branches of a tree. Merry and Pippin followed me quickly and I hoped that they would be able to get high enough.

"He's gone," Merry sighed. Suddenly he was pulled down. "Merry!" Pippin shouted, watching him disappear. I heard voices from below. "I'm gonna put a maggot hole in your belly!" the orc said. I was torn between helping Merry and saving myself. Before I could decide on a course of action, the tree we were sitting in made it for me.

Suddenly, the tree lurched forward. It lifted an enormous foot, crushing the startled orc. "Little orcs," it said.

"The tree is talking!" Pippin said, terror gripping at him.

"Tree? I am no tree! I am an Ent. A tree herder, a Shepard of the forest." It said.

"Don't talk to it," Pippin whispered, "Don't encourage it."

Pippin then asked whose side it was on. The Ent answered that he was on no one's side because no one cared the woods anymore. It was terrible that no one cared about the forest, but it seemed like the forest was still alive and well. It just lacked people to walk through it and enjoy its wonders. Then it hit me, Treebeard still believed that we were orcs.

"We're not orcs! Those two are hobbits and I'm an elf" I exclaimed.

"Indeed, you are an elf, I can see your pointed ears, but I've never heard of hobbits. Sounds like orc trickery to me," he said in his rumbling voice.

"We are hobbits! Hobbits of the shire!" I prayed that Treebeard would believe us. He had to. Merry and Pippin looked nothing like orcs, and I hoped that would prove the Ent wrong, but he would hear nothing of it.

"Well, maybe you are, and maybe you aren't. The white wizard will know," the Ent said.

I heard Merry whisper that the white wizard was Saruman. Fear gripped my heart. Surely he would kill us.

We walked through the forest. How could the Ent not know that Saruman was evil? Could he not see it in his eyes, in his tone? I was so afraid as a white light appeared in front of us. Instead of Saruman, it was……Gandalf.


	16. Entmoot

Author's Note: So, even though I didn't get any reviews for the last chapter, I decided to post another, although I really would appreciate more reviews. I just finished watching Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King with my best friend. We had a movie marathon today. We started with The Other Boleyn Girl. Then, Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Man's Chest. Then Pirates of the Caribbean At World's End. After a short break, we started Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. It's not that we didn't have anything better to do, but we wanted to spend as much time as possible together before school starts back up. Thankfully, we will be on the same swim team and we will have more free weekends with the new swim team so, we should get to see each other more out of the pool. We live in different towns so, I can't see her during the school day. We kind of got on an overload of movies and were just laughing at the most random scenes, like the battle scenes.

After that, my mother decided to surprise us by making us individual chocolate molten lava cakes, which are basically mini chocolate cakes that are almost cooked all the way through, but once you get to the center, it is still melted and gooey. My mom made way to many, as usual, so, we ended up having three each while we watched our movies....with ice cream. Now, we're on a sugar high as well. Sadly, she just left and I'm left to go into a sugar induced coma by myself.

Earlier, I said that I would not be able to update because I would be in Long Island for the weekend, but as it turns out, I am not able to go. There is a hurricane coming up near us and we don't want to be driving in the pouring rain. The place where we were going to stay with my grandparents issued a warning that no one should leave their homes unless it is absolutely urgent so, we will be staying here.

Additionally, my grandfather is feeling bad again. Last night, he complained that he was having chest pains, which worries me because he just had bypass surgery after a heart attack. He is in rehab, which means that he should be doing better, but this could be a problem. They are currently doing tests and they limited his physical therapy to just non-strenuous activities. I hope that it was just a result of working to get back his strength, but I'm not sure.

I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Hugs, Kate

CHAPTER 16

"Yes, it is me," Gandalf said, smiling at us.

"But it cannot be," I said, quite confused. "You fell." I had seen it with my own eyes, as my other friends had. How could it be that Gandalf was back?

Gandalf's smile faded, "Through fire, and water. On the lowest dungeon, on the highest peak I fought him, the Balrog of Morgoth. Until at last I threw down my enemy and smote his ruin upon the mountainside. Darkness took me and I strayed out of thought and time. The stars field of end, and everyday was as long as a life age on the earth. But it was not the end. I felt life in me again...and now I have been sent back until my task is done." What he described sent a shiver down my spine. But, I wondered what exactly his task was. I knew I should not ask him so, I kept my mouth shut, hoping that he would answer it without my having to ask him.

"Gandalf," Pippin and Merry said again, smiling.

"Yes," Gandalf said. "But I am now Gandalf the White." He turned to face me. "Jasmine, you and the hobbits must stay with Treebeard. You and your child will be safe with him."

I nodded, not surprised that Gandalf knew of my pregnancy. I hesitated a moment before finally speaking, "Gandalf, if and when you find Legolas...you will let him know that we are safe, right?"

Gandalf smiled knowingly at me. I could not help but worry about Legolas. I knew that he would be beside himself with worry by now. I needed him to know that I was alright, to put my own mind to ease. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you," I said, my voice soft.

Gandalf whispered to me, "_Do_ keep both eyes on those hobbits. Keep them out of mischief."

I laughed slightly. "Of course."

"I take my leave. Treebeard, keep them safe." Gandalf disappeared as quickly as he came.

Treebeard lifted us up and let us rest against his branches. We were so high up that my stomach churned again. I prayed silently that I would not be sick again. Once was enough. I wished that I could just skip this stage of my pregnancy, although that would be impossible. "My home lies deep in the forest near the roots of the mountains," he said. "I told Gandalf I would keep you safe, and safe is where I'll keep you. The trees have grown wild and dangerous, anger festers in their hearts. They will harm you if they can. There are too few of us now...too few of us Ents left to manage them."

As Treebeard carried us further into the wilderness he explained much to us. We passed trees that were taller than any I had seen. They almost looked like they had personalitites of their own and it seemed that they wanted to come alive. "Look!" Pippin cried. "There's smoke to the south!"

"There is always smoke rising from Isengard these days," he said.

"Isengard?" Merry repeated. Fear struck me. I had not realized we were so close to Saruman. Could he sense our presence? If so, he would probably mistake us for animals. We could not be in much danger as long as we had the protection of the Ents.

"There was a time when Saruman would walk in my woods," Treebeard remembered. "But now he has a mind of metal and wheels. He no longer cares for growing things." I felt sorry for the trees and Ents. I knew what it was like to be forgotten and neglected. It was not a pleasant thing. I vowed that if I survived this then I would come back one day and walk the forests, admiring everything I saw. It was beautiful and majestic, yet it drew me in.

"Jasmine!" Pippin whispered, motioning for her to climb to a higher branch, where he and Merry were. As I climbed, I realized with tenderness that my stomach had expanded slightly. It was once flat, but now it was more rounded and firm. I realized this because as I climbed, my stomach brused against branches that I normally would have just missed. This was a good sign, my child was healthy and growing. As I reached their height, I understood why they were calling to me. I saw large group of orcs marching with spears and shields.

"It's Saruman's army," I answered. "The war has started."

"The Ents have not troubled with the wars of men and wizards for a very long time," Treebeard explained. "But now, something is about to happen that has not happened for an age...Entmoot."

"What's that?" Merry asked.

"'Tis a gathering."

"A gathering of what?" our question was answered, however as a large group of Ents emerged from the depths of the forest.

"Beech...Oak...Chestnut...Ash....good, good, good," Treebeard said. "Many have come. Now we must decide if the Ents will go to war."

Treebeard turned around. "We have just agreed," he said.

"Yes?" Merry asked, after waiting for the Ent to continue.

Treebeard continued. "I have told your names to the Entmoot, and we have agreed that you are not orcs."

"Well that's good news," Pippin said. I sighed, relieved. If they thought that Merry and Pippin were orcs, the outcome would not have been pleasant at all. I would have had to presuade tem that they were infact hobbits, which would have been nearly impossible. It seemed that once they made up their minds, nothing short of a miracle could change them.

Merry seemed impatient. "And what about Saruman?" he asked. "Have you come to a decision about him?"

"Now, don't be hasty, Master Meriadoc."

"Hasty?" Merry nearly shouted. "Our friends are out there! They need our help! They cannot fight this war on their own!" I agreed, though I did not voice my opinion. The Ents would be a great asset for us. If only we could persuade them to help us.

"War, yes," Treebeard said. "It affects us all. But you must understand, young hobbit, it takes a long time to say anything in old Entish. And we never say anything unless it is worth taking a long time to say."

We sighed as Treebeard went back to the meeting and began discussing more with the gathered group.

Treebeard finally turned back to us and spoke. "The Ents cannot hold back this storm," he said. "We must weather such things as we have always done."

"How can that be your decision?" Merry yelled. They had to help us. They just had to. I would do whatever it took to get them to assist us in our time of need.

"This is not our war," Treebeard answered.

"But you're part of this world!" I interrupted, trying not to cry. "Aren't you? You must help! Please! You must do something." How could they just turn their backs blindly? This affected all living things. How could they ignore their calling to battle? We needed their help, yet they insisted on being stubborn. If only Legolas were here, I thought, he would surely know what to say to get them to help us. I missed him so much. At that moment, my greatest wish was to have him by my side once more. I needed him here with me. Without him, I felt as if half myself was missing.

"You are young and brave, Lady Jasmine," Treebeard said, "but your part in this tale is over. Go back to your home." My home.....and just where was my home? I had no place to call home. My home was with Legolas, I supposed. I could live anywhere. The place would not matter as long as my love was there with me.


	17. Fighting Back

Author's Note: I loved all the reviews. It's good to know that even when my life completely sucks, there are still people who love my stories. It seems like right now, all I have is my writing. Today has been terrible, but I'm posting this in hopes that it will make me feel a little bit better. I know this sounds corny and fake, but when I'm depressed, like I am right now, writing seems like an escape to me. It's the only thing in my life that I have complete control of. Hopefully, you like this chapter. Hopefully, there is a light at the end of the tunnel that I'm surrently suffocating in, but if there is one, I can't see it. On top of my depression, I'm sick so, I'm crying, sneezing, blowing my nose, and coughing constantly. I just wish school would start so I can be out of my house and escape for a while, even if it is at school. Anything seems good right now.

As for my grandfather, he's doing well. They plan to release him on Wednesday. He's excited to be coming home. At least something is going right. His physical therapist is helping him get back into shape. He's walking almost unassisted now and he's working on going up and down stairs and he is becoming more independant.

This chapter is dedicated to all of my wonderful readers. I'm glad you like my story and I hope that you continue to enjoy it. Thanks for being there and putting a smile on my face with your reviews. That's it for now.

--Kate

CHAPTER 17

"I will leave you at the western borders of the forest," Treebeard told us as he carried us through the woods. I didn't want to leave. This could not be the end of my journey. Right now, all I wanted was to find a way to stop Saruman. That, and to see Legolas again. I missed him so much. "You can make your way north to your homeland from there."

Merry and Pippin exchanged sad looks. Upon seeing their faces, I realized something; I wasn't going to stand for this! So what if Treebeard was going to leave us at the edge of the forest? I would take the hobbits and we would search for the others. I had no home to return to anyway, Legolas was my home now. I did not care if I had to treck all over Middle Earth, I would not let this be the end for me. Pippin spoke up suddenly. "Wait!" he cried. "Stop! Stop! Turn around! Turn around, take us south!"

"South?" Treebeard asked. I was utterly confused."But that would…lead you past Isengard!" What was wrong with Pippin? Why in the world would he want to go past Isengard? Was he crazy?

Pippin smiled. "Yes, exactly," he said. "If we go south we can slip past Saruman unnoticed. The closer we are to danger, the further we are from harm. It's the last thing he'll expect."

"Well, that doesn't make sense to me, but then, perhaps you are right. South it is then." He turned around and began to take us to Isengard. As we walked, I tried to think of other motives Pippin would have for taking us south. He could not believe that we would go by unnoticed. The place was swarming with orcs. We were bound to be noticed by something. There was no way that we would slip by safely.

At last we reached the border of Fangorn forest, with Isengard in very close proximity. As we emerged from the trees, Treebeard was telling a story. It was actually quite amusing. Treebeard, though he spoke slowly, had a way with words, "…a little family of field mice that climb up sometimes and they tickle me awfully. Always trying to get somewhere were they---" He stopped suddenly. "Oh!" he exclaimed, looking around with wide eyes.

At his exclamation, I began to look around as well. It was terrible. Trees had been destroyed, nothing living was in view. All that remained was rocks and stumps of trees that had been hacked to death.

"Many of these trees were my friends," Treebeard said, sounding broken. "Creatures I had known from nut and acorn."

"I'm sorry, Treebeard," I said. I knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. I knew that apologizing for his loss would not lessen the blow or make him feel much better, but I couldn't just stand there without saying anything.

"They had voices of their own," he continued, then became furious. "Saruman!" he exclaimed, his gaze moving to the tower. "A wizard should know better!" He let loose a long howl that pierced my very soul. "There is no curse in Elvish, Entish, or the tongues of men for this treachery!"

"Where are they going?" Merry asked, speaking of the trees that were now moving towards us. Perhaps this was Pippin's plan- to anger the Ents and get them to fight. I had to hand it to him, Pippin was smart, whether he knew it or not. If this was a coincidence, it was a very fortunate one.

"They have business with the orcs," Treebeard answered. "But MY business is with Isengard tonight. With rock and stone."

As we turned, many Ents came out of the forest behind us. "Yes!" Merry exclaimed. The Ents looked angry. I hoped that they would do enough damage to Isengard. Perhaps that would show Saruman that we were a force to reckoned with.

"Come, my friends! The Ents are going to war! It is likely that we go to our doom…Last march of the Ents!" Treebeard cried, leading them down.

The Ents marched down to borders of Isengard, and over the walls surrounding it, breaking them down as they went. The Ents attacked the city, killing all the orcs and tearing down great wheels, and threw then in the caverns. It was sheer anarchy. Orcs were running about, trying not to be squashed by the Ent's feet. They were trying desperately to bring down the Ents, but to no avail. The Ents left a line of destruction in their path. This was turning out very well. Now, if only there was a way to destroy Isengard so that it was no longer useful.

The hobbits helped out by using stones, throwing them at the orcs. Some Ents had made their way to a large dam blocking the river Isen from flowing. "Break the dam!" Treebeard had ordered. "Release the river."

The Ents tore off the support beams, and water came flowing out, drowing orcs and destroying the machines.

The powerful flow of water approached us and I struggled to hold on. The hobbits clung to the tree branches, apprehensive of the imminent force. The Ents had planted their feet firmly in the ground, preparing for the hit. The actual force was not as bad as I had expected, but it did quite a large amount of damage to Saruman's machines, sweeping them down into the dark, deep caverns.

We had won this one battle. I hoped that the rest of our war would go like this, but I knew it was incredibly an unrealistic thing to hope. We still had so much to face. Our battle had only just begun. There was so much left to fate. We could not control what fate had in store, but perhaps we could influence it and make it change. Our decisions and actions always effect our fates. With the right guidance and choices, we could very well survive this ordel, and who knew? Maybe the world could change for the better. I knew that I would do anything and everything in my power to make sure taht the world was a good place for my child to grow up in. I would not let the world fall into darkness. My children would need a nurturing, good environment to learn and mature in. And so help me god if I would not make sure that the future would be like that.

"Jasmine, we've found a store room full of food! Come. You need to eat!" Pippin shouted. I searched for him quickly and found him a few yards away from me emerging from a room lit with candles. I quietly entered and looked around like a small child in a candy store. There was so much food. Smoked meats hung from the ceiling and there was an assortment of wines, cheeses, fruits, and so much more. I finally settled on cutting myself some smoked meat with bread, an apple, and honey. As I ate, I thought of Legolas. They must be getting closer. It may have been my ravenous hunger, but that was the best meal I had ever had. The meat tasted so good and the apple was crisp and full of juice. The honey was sweet, and the bread hearty.

After my meal, I sat down on a rock, basking in the sun's warmth. I felt oddly restricted around my middle and I looked down, to notice that the best that I had fastened around my waist, to draw in Legolas's shirt, was in the middle of the small round of my growing belly. I smiled to myself and moved it down, so that it rested at the top of my breeches. The fabric still hung to about the middle of my thigh, but now, one could tell that I was with child, or had gained weight. I wondered how Legolas would react to this change. I sincerely hoped that he would reach us soon. I missed him greatly.


	18. Reunion

Author's note: Well, I suppose I should let all of you know that I'm feeling much better than I was yesterday. After I posted the chapter, I ended up going to my best guy friend's house and sleeping over. No... not in any inappropriate way, just as best friends. We stayed up late, and he even **suggested** that we should watch a chick flick. That's one of the reasons I completely love him. Lol. We watched bride wars, and ate masive amounts of icecream. It was hilarious and, though he would not admit it, he enjoyed the movie... I could see him laughing. After that, he insisted that we watch a horror movie. Me and horror films equals sheer terror, which he knows. So, for most of the movie, I had my face burried in his hoodie, with him laughing at me the whole time :/ anyway, I made him regret that by forcing him to watch JONAS with me. Sadly, that plan failed becuase we ended up laughing at it and kind of mocking the Jonas Brothers, not to offend anyone who likes them. We ended up falling asleep on the couch and waking up in a very, very awkward position. We were sideways with his arm around my waist and I had my head on his shoulder..... it was kind of funny though.

Thanks to all my womderful readers and reviewers. Once again, Caros24084u, I want to thank you for your constant support. I always love your reviews and they never fail to make me smile. So, thanks for sticking with me and this story. I'm glad that you like my writing.

As always, I own nothing but my plot and original characters. If I did own Aragorn, or Legolas, well, I'm pretty sure that I would not be here writing right now..... so, yeah, sadly, I don't.

CHAPTER 18

As I sat thinking on an rather uncomfortable rock, I heard hooves approaching us quickly. At first I feared that black riders had been sent to destroy us, but I realized that if that were the case, I would already be dead. It could have been the riders of Rohan, but that was unlikely as well, considering that the hoof beats would be much louder. It sounded as if there were only a few horses, no more than eight. It could have been a patrol sent out to check on Isengard, but I had hope that it was Legolas. I did not want to turn around only to be disappointed so, I watched from my perch on a small outcropping of rocks. Pippin and Merry sat on a large rock below me.

"Jasmine! Jasmine! They're here! Legolas and Aragorn and Gimli! They've come to get us! Gandalf is with them too!" Pippin exclaimed.

I whipped around. It really was them. My heart soared as I saw Legolas riding towards us. I stood up quickly and ran down the dirt and stone path that led to where they were standing. I was surprised that I did not trip and injure myself at the speed I was currently running at. When they reached Merry and Pippin, they stopped. Legolas was holding his horse's reins, his back turned to me.

"Pippin, Merry, where is Jasmine? Is she alright?" Legolas asked, concern in voice. It seemed like he was panicking. Part of me wanted to let him suffer a little bit longer, and part of me wanted to rush at him and engulf him in a hug, kissing every part of him within my reach. Of course, my love for him won out and I stook a step towards him.

I laughed silently and said, "She's right behind you Legolas, and I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

Legolas turned around, tears dripping down his face. "I thought I had lost you meleth nîn (my love). You have no idea how worried about you I was," he said. I instantly felt bad for wanting to make him suffer longer. I had no idea that my absence had caused him this much pain. I vowed that I would never leave his side, at least not if I could help it.

"I missed you every day and I now realize how stupid I was, but we are all fine. I know it was foolish, but I couldn't let Pippin and Merry be taken by the Orcs. I had to do something so, I did what came to mind first. Pippin and Merry were quite brave throughout this though. It is because of them that the Ents fought here," I said. Legolas pulled me into a hug. He burried his head in my hair, kissing my neck. I let myself inhale his scent. It had a strange way of comforting me when nothing else could. It finally felt real to me. Legolas was here, I was in his arms and the world seemed to stand still as we were reunited.

"It seems that I cannot hold you as close as I was once able to. Let me look at you," Legolas replied. He held me at arms length, first gazing at my face, eyes slowly traveling downwards. He gasped when he beheld my stomach. After the initial shock had worn off, he grinned at me.

"Our child has grown much over the past few weeks," I said, taking his hand and placing it on my stomach. Legolas smiled and began rubbing my stomach, almost as if he was telling our child that everything would be alright.

"So I see. You look more beautiful now than ever," he said. Aragorn cleared his throat.

"Did you miss me Aragorn? I'm sorry, have I been neglecting you," I teased, turning to look at my friend.

He pretended to pout. "Yes, you have. Come here Jasmine," Aragorn said, and he too hugged me. "You really have grown since we've seen you. I'm glad that the child is still alive and that you are still well. Legolas would not stop worrying about you both on our search to find you. He was convinced that something terrible had befallen you and we would come to find you horribly changed."

"I know you mean to tease him, but it makes me love you even more Legolas. I worried about you too. I hoped that you were not attacked by the armies of Isengard. Every night, I prayed that you were safe and we would be together soon. It seems that my prayers have been answered," I said.

"Its good to see you Jasmine," Gimli said, smiling at me.

"It's good to see you as well Gimli," I replied. I felt so much better now that I was surrounded by my friends and my fiancé. I knew that I would rest well tonight with Legolas by my side.

"Young masters," Treebeard greeted them, "I am glad you have come. As I was telling Gandalf, I can master wood and water, rock and stone. But there is a Wizard to manage here. Look to his tower."

We looked. Saruman's white robes whipped around the corner and back into Orthanc. We all mounted our horses, me riding with Legolas, since there were not enough horses for all of us, riding up to the front of Isengard Tower. Treebeard followed closely behind us.

"And there Saruman must remain," Gandalf said. "Under your guard, Treebeard."

Gimli had quite a different opinion, however. "Well, let's just have his head and be done with it!" I almost agreed with Gimli. Although Saruman had lost his power, he was still quite dangerous. It would be better to eliminate the risk of having him alive. Who knew what he could do. Something terrible, I was sure.

"No," Gandalf said. "He has no power anymore."

"The filth of Saruman is washing away," Treebeard said. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees, wild trees."

Pippin was sitting on the back of Aragorn's horse. He had just jumped off, and was now wading in the water. He reached down and picked up a large, black glass ball from the murky water.

"Bless my bark!" Treebeard exclaimed.

The large ball was a Palantír...one of the Seeing Stones that Legolas had told me about on our journey. Saruman had been using it to communicate with Sauron. We needed to cover it with a cloth. Palantirs were dangerous tools that were better left alone. It could allow Sauron to see us, to see what we had done. Surely, if he did, there would be armies marching towards us at great speed.

"Peregrin Took!" Gandalf warned.

Pippin had been staring intently at the Palantír. He started and looked up at Gandalf. The poor hobbit was captivated by it. If I knew Pippin, which I did, this would not be the end of the trouble he would cause with the Palantir. We would have to make sure that it was well guarded. Pippin could not be allowed to look at it. If Sauron gained control of Pippin's mind, there was no telling what information he could gain of our plans, and Frodo. If he found out where Frodo was, our mission would fail. He would send armies to capture him. Frodo would not stand a chance. No, the Palantír had to be closely gaurded, but not used.

"I'll take that my lad. Quickly now," Gandalf said, holding out his hand. Pippin handed it to Gandalf, rather reluctantly. Gandalf grabbed it and wrapped it in his cloak quickly. Good, Gandalf would be able to guard it. Surely, he of all people would understand the importance of keeping it under safe watch.

A few days after we left Isengard, we reached the capital of Rohan. It was beautiful, just as Legolas had described it to me. I could not believe that this was really happening. I felt as though I was watching everything from far away. I wished that the ring had never been created and that Legolas and I could have stayed at Rivendell. If that had been the way things were, I was not sure whether or not Legolas and I would be betrothed, and I certainly would not have met all my wonderful companions.


	19. Banquet

Author's Note:So, last night, I went ot see the Time Traveler's Wife. It was pretty good, except for some scenes that were made to be very awkward because my parents were sitting a row behind me and my good friend, who is a boy. The scenes were um *cough* sex scenes *cough* so, yeah, it wa weird. It was really sweet and romantic, but I thought that the ending was not the best. I won't give it away for anyone who is planning to go see it, but I thought that it could have been better.

Today, I have another session with my personal trainer, but this time, my best friend Kim will be there. That, is a very good thing; however, it can be bad sometimes, considering the fact that just being with each other makes us do, or say extremely random things. This will also be a problem when the swimming season starts up again. We are going to be on the same team, and as it turns out, our schools compete against each other, which will result in people thinking that we are freaks. That is because, whenever we race against each other in certain events, we usually either get the exact same time, or are only a few hundredths of a second off. It's really weird and we don't know why it happens, but it just does.

Speaking of school, mine starts on Wednesday and I am really freaking out. It's only orientation, but the idea of a new school with half my grade consisting of people I don't know is well, a little daunting. I only hope that since I am in all honors classes I will make friends who aren't always concerned with boys, hair, nails, the latest Hollywood gossip, and all that. Maybe, I'll find friends that I can actually have an intelligent conversation with :)

So, that's really it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Peace and Love, Kate

CHAPTER 19

There was to be a banquetm, to honor everyone who had died in the battle of Helm's Deep, that night. Legolas and I were finally relaxing in the room that we had received. I was sitting on the bed, waiting for Legolas to finish his bath so that I might wash myself as well. Naturally, he had insisted that I should have the first bath, being the gentleman that he is, but I refused, saying that I needed to lie down for a while to recover some strength, which was not completely a lie. I now felt the child that lay within me draining some of my strength. I hoped that I would be able to continue on the journey without getting sick.

Lady Éowyn entered the room. "Princess Jasmine, I've been informed that you could use a formal dress for the banquet tonight," she said, smiling at me. She was right, I did need a dress. Although men's clothes were comfortable and practical for traveling, i almost missed wearing dresses. At least then, I looked like my body had a shape. Well, my upper body that is. The leggings that Legolas had lent me fit my legs almost perfectly. I was glad then, that I had spent an enitre summer hiking, toning my legs.

"It is true that I do not have a dress; however, I doubt that many would fit me properly," I said, placing my hand on the round of my belly. "For I am with child and my stomach has expanded since the last time I wore a proper dress."

"Oh my. Congratulations. I was not aware that you were with child. Legolas must be ecstatic. However, I'm sure that we could find something to fit you. We have had many pregnant women with us over the years. I am quite sure there will be a dress that will fit you perfectly Princess Jasmine," she replied.

"Thank you Lady Éowyn. I greatly appreciate your kindness. And please, call me Jasmine," I said.

"Alright Jasmine. And I must insist that you call me Éowyn. If we are to be friends, which I think we will be, we can't be calling each other 'Lady'. I'll bring the dress for you right now. I'll leave it on the bed, if you plan to bathe," she said, exiting the room.

I lay down on the soft bed, waiting for Legolas to finish. I placed my and tenderly on my stomach and thought of the future. I barely noticed that I fallen asleep. In my slumber, I was relaxed, happy and dreamed a wonderful dream. It was in the future. Legolas was teaching two of our children to wield a sword properly, while our oldest son who looked to be about seven sat and read a book. I noticed that I was pregnant in my dream. As my children and my husband finished sparring, Legolas looked over to me and smiled. He said, "See, I told you that everything would turn out right. Just look at our family now. Three children and one on the way, this is truly paradise, my dearest love." I smiled and awoke to find Legolas shaking me lightly.

"I've finished my bath and drawn clean water for you. Do you need help washing your hair my love?" Legolas asked.

"Yes please. It seems that it has been ages since I last washed my hair. I'm surprised that I still look somewhat presentable," I joked, yawning slightly.

"Come, let me help you," Legolas said. I undressed and he helped me into the tub. "Just relax Jasmine," he soothed me. His gentle hands massaged sweet smelling soap into my scalp. I shuddered invardly at the thought of the branches and leaves that must have been caught in my hair. He made sure to rinse my head with warm water, careful not to get any soap into my eyes. "I'll help you wash as well." He said and he grabbed the bar of soap that sat in a porcelain tub next to me and rubbed the suds over my body, a smile lighting up his face as he lathered it over my ever expanding stomach.

"Legolas, you pamper me too much," I laughed.

"I can't help it. I love pampering you. I love the way you laugh and how your eyes shine. I know the road has been hard on you and our child. I am determined to make you as comfortable as possible," he replied, kissing my forehead. He gave me his hand, helped me out of the tub and offered me a towel, turning away as I accepted it and wrapped it around my body, drying myself off as much as I could. I squeezed the excess water from my hair and went into our bedroom. Lying on the bed was a beautiful dress. I only hoped that it would fit me.

"Legolas, can you help me with the dress please?" I asked, once I had my undergarments on. I slipped the dress over my heas, praying that it would fit well and I wouldn't have to be embarrassed.

"Of course." He deftly tied the laces. To my joy, it did not feel tight at all. It was actually incredibly comfortable.

"How do I look?" I asked Legolas, twirling around to face him. His face grew slack and almost expressionless. "That bad?" I asked, fearing that I looked odd.

"No my love, you look stunning. You are a vision in white. You look as if you have fallen from the heavens. You seem to be an angle made just for me," Legolas said. "And the fact that you are pregnant makes you look even more beautiful. I finally understand the whole concept of women 'glowing' during pregnancy."

I turned to try and find a mirror. To my surprise, there was a standing mirror a few feet in front of me. Legolas was right. The dress accentuated my shape. It was the first time that I'd felt truly beautiful in a long time. Then again, it was the first time that I had bathed in a long time, and the first time that I had worn proper clothes as well.

"Come love, let's join the others. I believe that they are waiting in the hall." Legolas offered me his hand, which I took. As we entered the grand stone hallway, I was finally able to appreciate the beauty and skill with which this palace had been built. We found Aragorn, Gimli, Merry, and Pippin speaking with Éowyn. We approached them, but at a slightly slower pace so that we would not be interrupting their conversation. They turned in out direction at the sound of our footsteps.

"Jasmine, you look breathtaking. Has Legolas told you that you look like a goddess?" Aragorn asked.

"Thank you Aragorn. Yes, Legolas has told me something similar. And Éowyn, thank you so much for finding me this dress. It is perfect," I said, smiling at her. We entered the dining hall and to my surprise, many men were gazing after me. Legolas glared at them and they quickly averted their eyes. I laughed and kissed his cheek. I had not known Legolas to be the jealous type. However, I appreciated his actions. Who knew what those men would do after a few to many glasses of ale. No, I was glad for Legolas's protection.

"Tonight," said Théoden, "we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country. Hail the victorious dead!" He lifted his mug in a toast.

"Hail!" chorused the crowd that had gathered in the Golden Hall, lifting their goblets as well, and then taking a deep drink.

Later, while the festivities were still going on, Merry and Pippin entertained a large group of men by dancing and singing one of the many tables. It seemed that the party had only just reached its high point. Who knew how long this whould continute?

"_Oh you can search far and wide,  
You can drink the whole town dry,  
But you'll never find a beer so brown,  
As the one we drink in our hometown.  
You can keep your fancy ales,  
You can drink them by they flagon,  
But the only brew for the brave and true,  
Comes from the Green Dragon_!"

The gathered crowd cheered and laughed at their antics. Only Merry and Pippin would sing such a song. The sight of two hobbits chugging pints and dancing in cirlces on top of a table was almost too much. They really were something, those two hobbits.

As Legolas went to catch up with some of his friends that he had not seen in a long time, I decided to stay and enjoy Gandalf's company. Soon, Aragorn came up behind Gandalf and I. He spoke in a hused voice, directed at Gandalf, knowing that I could hear as well, "No news of Frodo?"

"No word," Gandalf said dejectedly. "Nothing." My heart sank. That was as I feared. Although, I supposed that no news was good. If there was news, that would mean that someone would have seen him, or he was captured. I had to stay optimistic, for the sake of my own hope. I could not afford to think that Frodo was lost, otherwise, I would be lost as well.

"We have time," Aragorn replied. "Every day Frodo moves closer to Mordor."

"How do we know that?" Gandalf said, almost lifelessly. It hurt me to see him like this. Where was the Gandalf that had so much energy? The Gandalf that would not hesitate to decapitate an orc? I knew where taht Gandalf was. He was in the same place as my former self, worrying and praying that Frodo would make it safely to Mordor.

"What does your heart tell you?" Aragorn questioned Gandalf, looking deep into his eyes.

What does your heart tell you? Why did that suddenly make me feel as if my heart was hurting. I hoped that this was not a sign. As I thought about Aragorn's question, though it was directed at Gandalf, I found myself thinking that I really believed Frodo was alive. He just had to be. I would have known in my very heart and soul if Frodo was dead. He was alive. I could only hope that he would remain alive, even after destroying the ring. Since we could not be there to physically and verbally support Frodo, the least we could do is have confidence in him and give him our spiritual support. Ever since I was a little girl, I believed that spirits were interconnected, and could sense, to a certain degree, the spirits of those who were close to them. This could be what I was feeling from Frodo, why my heart had ached. I could have gleamed a bit of his distress from our connection.

"That Frodo is alive," Gandalf said, light once again entering his eyes. "Yes. Yes, he's alive." It was good to know that I was not the only one who believed so. Perhaps, if we all believed, it would give him enough strength to continue on, even though he may not know where his feeling of confidence and comfort were coming from.


	20. Pippin's Mistake

Author's Note: So, sadly, this is my last day before I start school, which is a rather scary thought. Tomorrow, I have a half day for orientation, but then I officially start on Thursday. Then, on next Tuesday, I get the macbook laptop that my school provides for all of its students. So, I'm quite excited about that. Then, on the 10th I register for my new swim team. The day after that, I will start my swim practices with the team. This coming weekend, I will be going to the beach then, from there, I will be heading out to Long Island to visit my grandparents. I'll try to post as much as I can today to make up for a lack of updates that might be coming soon. However, since my swim season does not start for another week or so, I will have time after school to update. I don't expect to be getting too much homework this first week, considering that we do not have our laptops yet. Thankfully, the incoming new students (that's me) are assigned a big brother or big sister who will show them around and be there to talk to and help us find our classes. That makes my life easier because I frankly have no idea whatsoever where my classes are or where anything is in the school for that matter. Anyhow, I'm actually beginning to look forward to this.

I really hope you enjoy this chapter and I will try to post more soon. I just have to step out for about 2 hours then, I should be back. Although, it might take longer, but I promise that I will try to post another chapter today. Read and review because REVIEWS make me happy :)

CHAPTER 20

After the banquet, we reached our chamber and I was absolutely exhausted. It was quite late in the evening and I was running on very little sleep, but it seemed like the party would not be ending for a while. When Legolas and I left, there were still many people enjoying each other's company and the ale and food that had been provided. I hoped that we would have a chance to regain some of the much needed rest. Maybe this would give me more energy. If the child did not intend to keep me up all night, that is. I sighed as I slipped out of my dress, which Legolas had helped me unlace. A white, but semi see-through, linen shift had been placed on the chest at the foot of our bed. I pulled it on and slowly sat down on our bed. Legolas had wanted to speak to Aragorn about the rest of our journey; and I had no doubt that it involved my condition, so I guessed that he would be arriving soon. I hoped he would because I was growing ever closer to falling asleep.

I felt my eyes slowly drifting closed as sleep threatened to take over me, but they fluttered open as I heard the door open. I sat up against the carved wooden headboard. "I am sorry to wake you meleth nîn (my love)," Legolas said while taking off his tunic and placing it next to my dress. He quickly kicked off his boots, but left his leggings on. I supposed that he intended to sleep in them.

"It is alright. You did not wake me. I was still awake though I was worried that I was going to fall asleep before you came back. I tried to wait for you as best as I could," I said, kissing him gently as he joined me under the covers.

"You should not have waited love. I can see how tired you are. Come, we shall rest together and wake in the late morning. You deserve to relax," he replied. I lay down and placed my head near his, wrapping my arms around him and he embraced me. I snuggled as close to him as I could get before sighing contentedly. I inhaled his sweet scent as I fell asleep, completely at ease for the first time in what seemed to be an eternity. My sleep was deep and dreamless, which was the most relaxing sleep that I could possibly hope for.

I woke up abruptly in the early hours of the morning. I had heard a shriek that made my blood run cold. Legolas and I jumped out of bed. I swayed a little, dizzy from standing up too quickly. I hoped that I had not startled the child that grew within me. However, that was almost impossible, I thought as we ran down the hall to the source of the sound. When we entered the dark room, I saw Pippin writhing on the floor, holding the Palantir.

"Pippin!" Merry yelled. "Help! Gandalf! Someone help him!"

Gandalf awoke just as Aragorn, Legolas, and I burst through the doors. Aragorn grabbed the Palantir from Pippin, and it had nearly caused him to lose consciousness, but Legolas gripped his shoulders, holding him up. The ball shot out from Aragorn's hands and began to roll across the floor towards the open doors. Pippin was cold and stiff, almost like a great stone statue. He looked paralyzed. I sincerely hoped that he had been irreversibly damaged or hurt. With a cry, Gandalf threw his cloak on the Palantír.

Merry quickly ran to help his friend. "Pippin!" he exclaimed.

"Fool of a Took!" Gandalf yelled. He shoved Merry out of his way, muttering something under his breath, while his hand rested on Pippin's forehead. He jerked awake suddenly and gasped, terrified.

"Look at me!" Gandalf ordered.

Pippin winced and seemed to struggle to hold Gandalf's gaze. He knew that he was in trouble. This was exactly what I had feared when Pippin had first found the damn seeing stone. I hoped that Gandalf would not be overly harsh on him. Pippin was merely curious, despite the fact that he had just done something very stupid and dangerous that could have terrible repercussions. "Gandalf, forgive me," he murmured.

"Look at me," Gandalf said firmly. "What did you see?"

Pippin attempted to look away, but Gandalf kept his head steady. If only Pippin was not so stubborn. He had to tell Gandalf what he saw. It was imperitive to our safety and Frodo's as well. I was about to try to help Gandalf when Pippin began to speak.

"A tree," he answered. "A white tree. In a courtyard of stone. It was dead! The city was burning!"

"Minas Tirith. Is that what you saw?" Gandalf asked urgently.

"I saw..." Pippins eyes widened as he realized exactly what he had seen. "I saw him! I can hear his voice in my head."

"What did you tell him?" Gandalf demanded. "Speak!" I realized how serious this could turn out to be. What if Pippin told him where Frodo was? What if he told him where we were? Sauron could be sending armies out right now to find us, or worse, Frodo. If Pippin had placed us in danger, I didn't even know what I would do.

"He asked me my name. I didn't answer. He hurt me."

"What did you tell him about Frodo and the Ring?" Gandalf questioned. Pippin looked at him, confused.

****

The next day, Pippin, Merry, and I were following Gandalf as he ran to the stables, reprimanding Pippin the whole time, although we knew now that he had not revealed anything to Sauron, thank the gods."Of all the inquisitive hobbits, Peregrin Took," Gandalf said, leading the hobbits down to the stables, "you are the worst. Hurry, hurry!"

"Where are we going?" Pippin asked, panting.

Merry spun around angrily to face his friend. "Why did you look? Why do you _always_ have to look?"

"I don't know," said Pippin. "I can't help it."

"You never can." Merry spat. I decided that I would not get in between them during their fight. It was not worth it. They were best friends and would get over this eventually. I would not risk taking sides and alienating someone over their problems. We could not risk that right now.

"I'm sorry, alright? I won't do it again," Pippin said remorsefully.

"Don't you understand?" Merry sounded pained. "The Enemy thinks you have the Ring. He's going to be looking for you Pip. They have to get you out of here."

"And you-you're coming with me?" Pippin asked, gazing at him nervously.

I looked between the two of them. I knew the answer, but I certainly didn't want to be the one to tell him that he would have to leave his best friend behind. It would be painful enough once he figured it out. I did not want to give him extra time to brood over it.

"Merry?" Pippin asked, sounding very frightened.

"Come on!" Merry called back.

Gandalf was taking Pippin, leaving Merry behind. This would crush them, no doubt. I hoped that they would not be too angry with Gandalf because of this.

"How far is Minas Tirith?" Pippin questioned as Gandalf lifted him onto his white horse.

"Three days' ride, as the Nazgûl flies...and you better hope we don't have one of those on our tail," Gandalf said.

Gandalf nodded a goodbye to me and Merry and mounted his horse. "Run, Shadowfax," he said. "Show us the meaning of haste!" Shadowfax bounded out of the stables at a speed I would have thought to be impossible.

"Merry!" Pippin called uselessly. This would be hard on him. I felt sorry for him, knowing what it was like to be parted from those dear to me.

Merry chased after Pippin at an alarming pace. I matched his stride easily though. Merry ran up a flight of stairs, into a tower to get a view of Pippin leaving. A tear slid down his face. I wiped it away with my thumb and put my hand on his small shoulder. "I this is hard for you. I can imagine just how you feel. For you, this must be like when Legolas and I were parted. I know it seems like it is the end of the world, but I can promise you that you will see each other again. It will take more than a war to separate you," I said. Merry sighed.

"I hope you're right Jasmine," he replied. I hoped so too. Hopefully, they would both survive long enough to be reunited. Heopefully, we would all survive that long, though, at the moment, it did not seem very likely.


	21. Leaving

Author's Note: So, I'm posting this and sadly, it may be the last post for a while. I start school tomorrow. It is only a half day for orientation so, I might be able to post another chapter, but then after that, I can not gaurentee anything. I don't know about how much homework I will be recieving and stuff like that. Though, when I get a chance, I will edit and try to post more chapters. It's a scary thought that I start school tomorrow when half my grade will be made up of a town that merges with us, and I only know two people from there. Additionally, I have all honors and the only person I know who had 5 classes with me is my friend's boyfriend who constantly makes sexual passes at me.... fun right? My friend isn't well, curvy and I am so, her boyfriend is trying to "get the best of both worlds"- his words not mine. Sadly, my friend is so infatuated with him that she doesn't even notice these things. Also, she will be going to a different school so, I have a feeling that this year wil be very awkward.

So, I've been thinking about writing a Harry Potter fanfiction next, but I need to decide on a pairing. I was thinking that it would either be Fred/Hermione or Draco/Hermione. If anyone has an opinion, I'll gladly listen to it, of if you have any suggestions for a book or movie, or show for me to write about, I'd be glad to hear about that too. I'm always looking for new material to write about. I might end up writing a short drabble/ one shot about well, who knows? It all depends on my free time though.

One of the many joys of a fanfiction writer is the actual writing, but we also enjoy reading reviews so, please leave a review, it will make me very happy, and there may be a virtual cookie involved.... ;)

CHAPTER 21

Days had passed since Pippin and Gandalf departed, yet there was still no word from Minas Tirith. Legolas, Gimli, Théoden, Éomer, Éowyn, some riders of Rohan, and I stood in the main hall. We were studying a detailed map of middle earth. If the forces of Mordor and Isengard were to attack then we would be in trouble, assuming that Saurman was able to rebuild his forces, which I desperately hoped he had not been able to do. Although, it was highly unlikely that he had inface been able to remake his forces. The damage we did was far too extensive to repair. We heard a comotion from outside and our heads jerked up as Aragorn burst forth into the hall.

"The beacons of Minas Tirith! The beacons are lit! Gondor calls for aid!" Aragorn cried.

We stood, not even daring to draw a breath as we awaited King Théoden's response. "And Rohan will answer!" he declared. "Muster the Rohirrim!" I let out a sharp breath of relief. Good, at least now we would have more forces to fight. Perhaps this time we would fare better than we had before. We had a fighting chance now.

We prepared to leave quickly. Legolas was fussing over me, worrying about me and the child. It seemed that in our time here, the child within me had grown greatly. My stomach had swollen to almost an impossible size. I felt like a whale, a very large whale at that. I knew that this was part of Galadriel's prediction, otherwise I would not be this far along in my pregnancy. I could only hope that this sped up cycle would not have any effects on my child. If so, I did not know what I would do. I could not bear to let anything happen to my baby. I hoped that the final battle would not take place to soon. Though, I felt that I was no where near ready to give birth. Legolas and I constantly wondered- what if there was something wrong with it because of the timing? Galadriel would have surely forewarned us of something like that though. For now all I could do was hope. Legolas, sensing my distress, embraced me.

"You are not the only one who worries about the child meleth nîn. He or she has been growing quickly though. It seems such a short time ago that your stomach was barely noticeable. Now it expands more every day. I do not worry about problems with it after the birth. It seems that the child is growing within the time frame of the final battle. Please do not worry yourself too much," Legolas said. His words consoled me, and I believed what he said to be true. His words made much sense. Especially what he said about our child's growth. Now, I just worried about what Galadriel had said about a long, difficult, and painful labor. I hoped that the labor would not kill me, leaving evil to rule the world.

At last, Éomer sat on his horse, leading a large group of soldiers. "Now is the hour!" he yelled. "Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken, now fulfill them all! For lord and land!"

With a great cry, we rode for Dunharrow, where we would meet several other armies. From there, it had been decided that I would ride to Minas Tirith, seeking protection before the war started. Legolas insisted on this, for he worried that we would arrive after the battle began, leaving me in labor, while riding a horse into battle, which would _not _be a good thing. I agreed with Legolas. Now that our child was at risk, what we wanted for ourselves did not matter. We were going to be parents and our baby had to come first otherwise we did not deserve to even be called parents.

When we finally arrived to the encampment full of warriors and neighing horses, I laid down to rest for a time. I would be leaving before nightfall. This was decided by Legolas, Aragorn, and Éowyn. Ten riders would be accompanying me, including Éowyn, who longed to fight despite the fact that she was a woman. I told her that as soon as I was safely in Minas Tirith, I would "misplace" her and she would be free to join the others in the fight. She had smiled and thanked me, hugging me tightly, careful not to hug me too tightly though.

Legolas and Éomer were standing together, talking, when Legolas observed, "The horses are restless and the Men are quiet."

"They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain," Éomer said.

Gimli, who had been listening to their conversation, walked up and gestured to a large mountain pass that was not far away. "That road there, where does it lead?" he asked suspiciously.

"It is the road to the Dimholt," Legolas answered, "the door under the mountain."

"None who venture there ever return," Éomer added grimly.

Finally, it was nearing the time when I was set to depart from the encampment. I could have sworn that in the few days it had taken to ride and gather the soldiers, my stomach had grown even larger. It now appeared as if I had inserted a large, oddly circular watermelon under my tunic. I was nervous to leave. What if something happened and Legolas did not return to me? What if he completely missed the birth of our firstborn child? What if he was so distracted by the thought of his child being born that he was killed? What was I doing, leaving him? Why could he not stay with me? I knew the answer though, he had to fight in order for evil to be destroyed. I wished that I knew for certain that he would be alright.

I searched through our encampment to find him. He was standing with Aragorn and Gimli, saddling their horses. It seemed that they were preparing to ride into the mountain. I shuddered and hoped that that was not the case. I'd heard tales of the mountain from Éowyn, who waited patiently by a tent nearby, and they scared me to the bone. My distress became even greater, thinking of this. As if telling me not to worry, my baby kicked me. I smiled. This was the first time it had done something besides shifting its position. That little kick gave me the strength to leave my fiancé. I was doing the right thing, and now I knew it, no matter how hard it was for me to leave Legolas. I placed my hand gently on my large belly. Walking was harder now. Actually, it was more of a waddle, which Gimli had teased me for earlier. Although, both Aragorn and Legolas had nearly bitten his head off for that particular comment, afterwards, Legolas assured me that I was perfect and it was only to be expected, while Aragorn glowered at anyone who dared to look at me in an odd way.

When I was closer to them, Aragorn said, "Jasmine, are you leaving now?" Legolas turned around, and upon seeing me, started fussing like a mother hen. It was quite amusing really, and had I not been so worried, I would have laughed at Legolas and possibly mocked him.

"You should not have walked here. I see how tired you are. You could have sent for us. I would have come. What about our child? Is he or she alright?" he asked, fawning over me.

"Our child is fine Legolas. I do not mind walking, although it takes me slightly longer to reach my destination than it did before," I said, smiling.

"I shall walk back to your horse with you, after you say goodbye to everyone else, of course," Legolas said.

"In that case, I shall meet you where we tied the horses. I would like to say goodbye to some of my friends as well," Éowyn said. I nodded and she disappeared behind a tent.

"I shall miss you Jasmine," Aragorn said, hugging me rather awkwardly, what with my stomach. "Legolas told me of Lady Galadriel's vision. Do not worry, we will keep our eyes out for Legolas and good will prevail. All you need worry about is your child."

"Goodbye Jasmine. I'll see you soon," Gimli said. I laughed at his gruffness and kissed his forehead.

"Goodbye Gimli, goodbye Aragorn," I said. I realized I had forgotten to ask them something as they turned to leave. "Wait! I saw you saddling your horses. What is going on? Are you riding into the mountains?"

"We are," Legolas said, tentatively.

"Why?! Surely you've heard the stories about them? What could you possibly do there?" I asked, nervous.

"Calm down Jasmine, it's not good for you or the child," Legolas said.

"Don't you tell me to calm down when I've been informed that my fiancé and dearest friends are riding into the mountains, where no one _ever _returns from!" I retorted, struggling to calm myself.

"We must. The men of the mountain, or rather ghosts, could help us much in this battle. If Aragorn gets them to agree to help us, we would have a great advantage. They could kill orcs, but not be slain themselves. Please trust us," Aragorn replied, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Fine, do as you wish, but if you do not return, so help me, I will bring you back from the dead only to kill you again for leaving me," I said.

"I do not doubt that in the slightest," laughed Legolas. "Do not fear Jasmine, we will be fine. I told you once that it would take much more than a man, dead or alive, to part me from you."

"Fine," I said again. "We should go. Éowyn is probably waiting for me."

Legolas nodded and took my arm to escort me to my horse. In my fear and anger, I had almost forgotten to tell Legolas that our child had kicked for the first time. "Legolas!" I exclaimed.

"What is it Jasmine? What's wrong?" he asked, panicking at my sudden outburst.

"Nothing is wrong, but I forgot tfo tell you something. The most amazing thing happened while Éowyn and I were walking to find you," I said.

"Really, and what might that be my love?" Legolas asked. I had sparked his curiosity.

"Legolas," I said, "our baby kicked." Legolas stared at me in shock, his face slowly breaking into a smile. "Here, give me your hand, you can feel it." I took his hand in mine and guided it to the place on my belly where I had felt the kick earlier. We waited. Nothing happened.

"It seems that he or she has fallen asleep," Legolas said, trying to hide his disappointment. Just as he was about to remove his hand, I felt a tentative nudge from the baby then, a strong, and rather painful kick. I winced slightly. Legolas noticed, but the grin on his face could not be diminished. "Jasmine, that truly is amazing. I pray that your labor will not be too painful. I promise to do my best to be with you before our child is born."

"I hope you will be. Having you there will give me much strength indeed," I said.

"Goodbye my love, when I see you again, we shall be parents, a scary thought, that is," Legolas said, kissing me passionately. His tongue slid into my mouth. It tasted of bread and wine. I sighed as we broke apart. He knelt down and kissed my stomach whispering to the child that lay within me. Then, he kissed me once more and helped me onto my horse. I could not help but let my tears flow freely as my guards and I departed for Minas Tirith.


	22. Minas Tirith

Author's Note: So, I started school today, well, rather, I had orientation. I was freaking out in the car on the way to school, but once I got there and found some of my friends, it was all okay. As a freshman, I was really nervous to be in a completely new school with a lot of new people, but they were really nice, well the people I talked to were, I can't say that about everyone. My teachers seem really nice, but my French Honors teacher started speaking rapidfire french as soon as we stepped into the room, which made us all nervous. Thankfully, I could understand most of it, which is quite a surprise after the teacher I had last year- she did nothing, and I really mean nothing. We learned some vocabulary, but that is not enough. To speak a language, we need to know phrases and be immersed in the language. I was kind of thinking to myself, "well, now I know how to say shoe..... that will totally help me in years to come". Then, this morning, we had "ice- breaker" activities, which consisted of trust falls. A trust fall is where you fall into someone's arms and they catch you. It was pointless...unless they want us to know that if I happen to be falling a foot in front of someone, they will be capable of catching me..... so, it was weird. Then, we did this game where we stood too close to each other, I mean, my chest was pressed into this guy's back then, we all sat on each other. Sound awkward enough?? Well, it was possibly the most awkward moment in my life.

Despite all of that, I still had a fairly good time and I'm glad that I was assigned a "big sister" to help me find my way around the school and make me feel comfortable. So, I guess it was a good thing, but change, to be completely honest, scares me. However, I know that change is necessary and maybe now I won't be completely apprehensive of upcoming changes.

So, I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I worked really hard to be able to post it after I got home and I was typing for a really long time. I don't know about whether or not I will be able to post anything tomorrow. I'll be at a party that my friend from my old swim team is hosting so, if I don't have too much homework tomorrow and I get home early enough from the party, then, I'll see what I can do. I may be good at scheduling my time, but I can't pull a rabbit out of a hat. So, if I can then I will, but it may take some magic that I don't possess, sadly.

As always, I own nothing except my plot and characters.

CHAPTER 22

After many long hours of riding, we had finally reached Minas Tirith. It was a beautiful city. It was made of the purest white stone, although that had been slightly dirited and was now a grey color. Despite that, it was still grand. I was amazed, I had never pictured Minas Tirith to look anything like this. Then again, I never was any good at imagining what things would look like. We rode up to the large gates. They looked to be almost impossible to break down. That, I was thankful for. At least we'd be safer in the city than I had hoped before our arrival. My guards had done a wonderful job of protecting me. They had swiftly killed a group of orcs who did not realize what was happening until they were dead.

The guards of the great white city had seen us coming and rushed to open the gates. They had groaned open just enough to allow us in, single file. As soon as we were safely inside the walls, they shuddered closed with a bang.

Now, we (by we I meant Éowyn, a few women, and I) waited in a small shelter with other women. I guessed that our hiding place had once been a guest room for visitors of the royal family. I was saddened to think that it now had to be used as a shelter. In all honesty, I was sick of this war and the ring. I wished that it never existed. Although, if that were true, I probably would probably not be pregnant right now. I did not know whether or not that was a good thing, at the moment. I loved my child, but if my fate was connected to the labor and the outcome of the war, perhaps it would have made me surer of my future if I did not have a child growing within me.

It was night now, but the fires of Mordor glowed in the distance. I knew it would not be long until the beginning of the battle- and, I thought, swallowing nervously, my labor. Éowyn, now clad in armor, had promised to stay by my side until the battle began. Then, she would leave me until she was sure that she would not be missed. Once she was sure of that, she would come find me once more and lend me her help with my delivery.

A woman by my side kept gazing at my stomach, which made me nervous. She was a girl, she should understand that women get pregnant. Why on earth should she be staring at me? It was dreadfully annoying. Finally, I could not take it anymore. "Why do you keep looking at my stomach? Have you never seen a pregnant woman before?" I snapped. I had become irritable. My stomach had been cramping for a few ours and it was most uncomfortable. I regretted my lapse of self control, but I could not help myself. My raw nerves and the pain I was experienceing had made me quick to a temper.

"I apologize My Lady. It just looks like you are to give birth at any time and if it were to happen soon, then I could help, that is if you would allow me to. My sister is a midwife and I have been present at many births, she trained me herself. I have also notice that you are an elf. Although I do not know much about elven births, I will do my best to deliver the child and assure your safety, if you will allow me to," she said. Relief flooded over me. This was the last part of my plan to be put in place. I felt bad for snapping at the poor girl. After all, she had only been concerned for my well being. That thought was washed aside as another contraction hit me. It did not last too long, but it still hurt.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, for I fear that the child will come soon. I apologize for snapping at you, though, I am not feeling my best right now," I said.

"I should apologize. I should not have started at you like I did. My name is Cearien, by the way. I'm sorry, but I didn't quite catch your name," she said.

"Oh, my name is Jasmine," I said.

"Princess Jasmine," Éowyn corrected, gazing at me with a stern look in her eyes.

"Princess Jasmine?!" Cearien exclaimed. "It is an honor to meet you then,Princess."

"Please, just call me Jasmine. You do not need to address me as Princess. I have a feeling that we shall become friends by the end of this Cearien. And being addressed as Princess rather irritates me. I know what I am, but to have others bow before me when they are just as good people as I am does not seem right to me. So, Please, call me Jasmine, or I am afriad that I might snap at you later, when my mind is clouded with the pain," I said.

"As you wish, Jasmine. May I be so bold as to inquire who the father of your child is? I don't mean to be rude, but it may help me to encourage you during your labor. If you do not wish to reveal his name, that is fine. I hope that I did not offend you," she asked. Éowyn looked as though she wanted to say something, but I silenced her with a look.

"You did not offend me in any way, shape, or form. It was a good question. My fiancé is the father of my child. His name is Legolas," I replied. Cearein nodded, and her eyes widened with shock as she thought of something.

"Do you mean that Prince Legolas of Mirkwood is the father of your child?" she gasped. I wondered how she knew of Legolas. It was unusual for humas to know of things like this, was it not? Well, I had to admit, I really had no idea. Now was one of the times that I regretted being dropped into a world that I knew almost nothing about.

"Yes, I do. I'm sure he's love to meet you when he returns, that is if you wish to meet him," I replied.

"Oh yes, I would be honored Jasmine. My older brother used to tease me for dreaming that I would one day meet an elven prince," she said, smiling. I laughed at her memory. I knew how she felt, I had older brothers as well. I sighed. I missed them dearly. What would they think if they saw me here, like this? I knew the answer. They would kill anyone who would so much as touch me, I smiled to myself as I thought of Legolas begging them not to hurt him.

"How did you end up here?" Cearien asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well, before I knew that I was with child, I set off to destroy the one ring with Legolas and my other companions. While on our journey, I was informed that I was with child by Lady Galadriel. However, I was also informed that I would go into labor as a signal for the start of the battle. My fate depends on the outcome of the battle also, I'm afraid," I said. I knew that I had perhaps revealed too much, but Cearien needed to know if she was to be my midwife. I looked at Éowyn to see what she was thinking. She just nodded at me. It was reassuring to know that she believed that I had said the right thing as well.

"Then your labor will be long, but don't worry, I will do what I can to ease your discomfort. Wait, you said you fate depended on the outcome of this battle. What did you mean by that," she asked.

I sighed deeply before I spoke. "My very life depends on the victor of this battle. If evil wins then I shall die; however, if good prevails, then I shall go on to live with Legolas and apparently have many more children with him," I replied.

"Oh, my. You should not worry too much though. Good always conquers evil. That's always the way things happen, even though it mostly happens in stories, but then again, stories are often based off of real events. I am positive that this time will be no different," Cearien said.

I felt my heart warm at her words. This was the response I had needed. "Thank you Cearien. Your words comfort me very much. I am glad to have you by my side," I said.

Just then, Éowyn asked if she should ready some equipment for the birth of my child. "Yes, if you could get two large blankets, a few rags, and perhaps some smaller blankets. Oh, and we will need water as well," Cearien responded. She knew what she was doing indeed. Her sister had trained her well, at least so far. I did wonder what would happen when the birth began though. Éowyn nodded and left our small room. There were few other women here, but they all looked as if they knew what I was going through. I would not ask them to leave.

Soon, Gandalf and Pippin appeared in he front of the room. "Jasmine, it's good to see you," Merry said.

"Indeed it is," Gandalf replied. I smiled, but that turned into a grimace of pain as my stomach clenched. I now realized what the cramping had been, they were contractions!

"Are you alright?" Pippin asked, worried. Cearien edged closer to me, also worried.

"I'm alright Pippin, but it seems like the beginning of the battle is fast approaching. I'm having contractions, though they are still quite far apart. However, they are getting stronger," I replied, grimacing slightly. Pippin looked frightened, but sympathy shone in his eyes. He was lucky. He would never have to experience anything like this in his life.

"That is what we are here to tell you," Gandalf said. "The armies of Mordor are approaching. They should be here within two hours. Éowyn has joined the forces gathering near the gates. She wanted to be ready and apoligizes for leaving you without much warning. She told us to leave these with Cearien, who I presume will be your midwife." Cearien nodded at Gandalf's assumption.

"I'm afraid we must leave now, but I wish you luck in your labor and hope that it is not too painful," Gandalf said, exiting. Well, that was awkward, having Gandalf say something like that. I was just glad that he would not be here for the actual thing. I might have died of embarrassment.

"Bye Jasmine. I hope it doesn't hurt too badly, but think of how happy Legolas will be," Pippin said, giving me a quick hug before running out after Gandalf. Yet again with the awkward farewells. I only hoped that his would be the last one.

"Well, it seems that all we can do now is wait. I'm afraid that there isn't a mattress for you to lie on in this room, but there are pillows. I've set up a bed of sorts for you. I know that it won't be all that comfortable, but it is better than the floor, trust me. As soon as it is safe, I will try to move you into a more comfortable location. I promise. Do not worry so, your Legolas will be fine," Cearien said. I liked the way she said 'your Legolas'. It was a nice thought. That gave me strength, at least a little bit. I could only pray that I would have strength when it came to pushing.

"Thank you Cearien. That is very kind, but I need help getting to the bed that you will set up. I can not really walk on my own right now. I'm sorry," I said. Cearien and another woman helped me up and guided me to the makeshift bed.

They helped me lay down. She was right, of course. It was more comfortable than the floor, but not as comfortable as a bed would have been. Hopefully, with the next child I gave birth to, if there was a next child, I would have in a proper bed with Legolas by my side, in a safe location. I laughed as I realized that the steward of Gondor probably did not even realize that an elven princess lay giving birth in a small room in the middle of his castle, which was the safest place, bound to have guards. I almost wished that he would be alerted of this, but then I would have to move, which I did not, under any circumstances, look forward to doing.

Author's Note: So, next chapter, Jasmine has her baby. But will Legolas be okay? What about Aragorn? Only time will tell. Well, time and my mood. Oh, and do you think Jasmine should have a boy or girl?? Opinions are wlcome! Please review. It might just inspire me to write faster, or make some extra time to post a chapter because so far, the last few reviews I got have all been from Caros24084u, who inspires me to write, but I really do like all my readers and would like to hear from you! So....please just leave a little review. It will make me extremely happy :)


	23. Baby

Author's Note:Sorry about not updating yesterday, I had homework after school then, as soon as I was finished, I had to rush to a party that my friend was having. I got home at midnight then, woke up at five. Today was not a good day, I was so tired that I was nearly falling asleep in class! Yes, I know that I should have left earlier, but I completely lost track of time. So, I had about eight cups of coffee today. I took a small nap during my lunch period, which is at 10:40 in the morning- I mean seriously, that's entirely too early. Anyway, the nap helped and I took another one after I got home from visiting my grandfather. After my nap, I started my homwork, which still isn't finished. I have a lot left to do, but I really needed a break so, I'm doing this. It's been three days and I already have projects assigned and a book to read by next week. I just hope that it won't be like this all year.

My grandfather is now at home! :) He's doing so well. It seems like he has so much more energy is and just happier in general now that he is back home. We have to make sure that he doesn't have too much salt, sit down too low, and things of that nature, but he is handling all of it surprisingly well. Although, he expects to be able to go right back to what he was doing before his surgery and rehab, which sadly is not an option. He was working hard in the gardens, lifting heavy trees and bags of soil and working out in the hot sun. He's really sad about that and says he feels useless, but it's for his benefit. Still, I feel bad to see him upset about that. I know how much it meant to him to be able to do things like that. He's gradually understanding that though.

This weekend, I will not be able to post anything, well at least I'm pretty sure that I will not be able to. Last weekend's cancelled trip has been moved to this weekend so, I will be in Long Island without my computer in a retirement community. I will sadly be spending most of the time working on my homework, which is depressing. That's about it. Enjoy this chapter and review.

Warning, if you do not like detailed birth scenes then please wait for the next chapter patiently. Jasmine finally has her baby, but it is detailed, thanks to the "wonderful" stories and help that my cousin provided me.

CHAPTER 23

The minutes passed by painfully slowly as contraction after contraction racked my body with pain. I so wished that Legolas was here to comfort me. At least he would be able to take my mind off of the pain, well somewhat. I greatly doubted that anything would make me forget the pain I was experienceing right now. Cearien was doing a good job. She spoke to me softly and calmly. Then, I heard a bugle, loud and strong, in the distance. The war was starting. In the exact moment that the bugle sounded, a pain like no other coursed through me and I cried out loudly.

"Jasmine! What's wrong?" Cearien exclaimed, looking at me.

"The battle has started. The baby is coming... now," I gasped. I knew it would still be long before the child was actually born, but I wanted it out of me now. The pain was excruciating. I grimaced. Legolas was giving birth to our next child. See how he handled the pain, I thought. Of course, I knew it was impossible, but if I told Legolas that, perhaps he would think before coming near my bed again.

"Have your waters broken yet?" Cearien asked. She had completely slipped into professional mode. She was all business now.

"No, not yet," I said.

"Well, I cannot check you until it has broken. Then the labor will really start. We will wait until it breaks then we'll see what is happening, but from what you told me, that could take a while," she replied. I groaned and lay back down. This was worse than anything I had ever experienced and I found myself thinking that I would rather die than go through this.

"Please, I can't do this, take my mind off of it. Talk to me," I begged.

"Um, alright. Oh, I know, what is was your journey like?" Cearien asked.

"It was long. We faced many dangers. At first, Legolas was rather put out with me for volunteering to accompany Frodo, but he changed his mind after I told him that I could not bear being left behind. Then, we rode on. We were forced to travel through the mines of Moria, where we were attacked by goblins, a troll, orcs, and Gandalf was almost killed by a Balroq. When we escaped, we reached Lorien, where Lady Galadriel informed that I carried Legolas's child," I said.

"Oh my, I cannot believe that you went through the mines of Moria. You must be so brave," Cearien complimented. I tried to smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace and moan as another contraction hit. I could feel the sweat on my face.

"Yes, it was quite the journey. Legolas was so happy. Then, Galadriel told me of a vision she had, the one I told you of earlier. After that we set off again, in boats. We soon encountered an army of goblin and orc halfbreeds. They were so strong. One of my comrades, Boromir, the steward's son, fell when he was shot four times. Two hobbits, Merry and Pippin were captured so, I went to save them, but got captured myself. We escaped into the forest, where we met the Ents, who helped us destroy Isengard…." I trailed off. I felt a pain in my stomach, but not like the contractions. I felt and odd pop and then wetness gushed down my legs. "Um Cearien, I think my waters just broke," I said nervously.

"That's what I was about to say. Let me check you. Can you please spread your legs apart for me?" she asked. After checking me, she announced "You're barely dilated. This is going to take a while. Relax and tell me more of your story, although the pains should be gradually getting worse and closer together."

I grimaced and nodded. I continued my tale, slightly breathlessly.

"After we destroyed Isengard, Merry, Pippin, and I waited, for we were informed that our friends were coming to get us. We were not waiting for too long. Somehow, the hobbits managed to break into the food storage room. Thanks to them, I finally had a good meal and wasn't ravenous. We traveled quite a bit after that, stopping in at Rohan, where we spent a decent amount of time. That's where Éowyn and I became friends. She's a lot like me. We both can't stand being on the sidelines, watching our friends die, which is why she's fighting now. Pippin had an incident with the Palantir. Because of that, Gandalf brought him here. The rest of us stayed behind, and rode to Dunharrow, where we met with riders from other places. We had quite a large army assembled, but I fear that it will not be enough. From there, Éowyn, my guards, and I rode here. We arrived early because of the prophecy and Legolas did not want to risk me going into labor on a horse in the middle of a battlefield."

"From what you've said, Legolas seems like the perfect husband and father. You're quite lucky to have found him," Cearien replied.

"I am. So, we rode, but before that, I spoke with Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli. They were headed to the mountains," I said. I motioned for Cearien to move closer and whispered the rest in her ear, "They were going to get the ghosts of the traitors to fight for us. It would be quite the advantage would it not? These men can kill, but they cannot be killed themselves."

"Indeed. That is quite a tale. Thank you for sharing it with me," she said. We talked some more, and I realized that I had not told her of how I came to be in Middle Earth. She did not need to know that, I decided. All that mattered was that I was here now.

Hours passed and my pains did grow closer and stronger. I was now at the point of almost writing in agony. I heard shouts coming from lower levels. I was horrified. The armies of Mordor had breached the walls. Just then, a messenger rushed in.

"Ladies, the armies are in the city. Men are being sent here to protect you as we speak. Princess Jasmine, Éowyn wishes me to tell you that Legolas has not shown up yet," the man said. My heart fell. Where was he? A second man ran down the hall and whispered something in the messenger's ear. "Oh, it appears that your fiancé and the ranger and dwarf have just appeared leading an army of ghosts, an army of ghosts!" he exclaimed.

"Yes," I replied, my voice sounded strained. "He and his companions set out to find them and it seems that they did. Good," I said.

"My lady, you are in labor," he stated, surprise in his voice. Cearien grumbled.

"Really? I hadn't noticed. I thought this pain was normal. Of course I am in labor!" I shouted, irritated.

"Please sir, if you could leave the room. She's in much pain and I think you're irritating her. I need to calm her down," Cearien said. The soldier nodded, looking embarrassed and ducked out of the room. I heard the clanging of armor and realized that our protectors had arrived. I wondered whether or not there were guards outside every hiding place. "Jasmine, it looks like you're about ready to push."

"What? No! I'm not! I have to wait for Legolas. I can't do this alone! He said he would be here!" I cried.

"Jasmine, you have to do this. You can't wait," Cearien tried to tell me. I wouldn't listen. I was _not _doing this unless Legolas was with me. She couldn't make me.

"No. I won't. You have to stop it! I'm not ready. This is not happening. It just can't," I cried.

Suddenly, and eerie glow filled the space outside the door. The ghosts were killing the invaders, I thought. I hoped that this was the end so that Legolas could join me. Éowyn burst through the door.

"Jasmine, are you alright?" she asked, concerned at my grimace. I was sweating profusely and my face felt hot. Éowyn rushed to my side and gently pushed my hair from my face.

"She won't push. She's ready to have the child, but she wants to wait for Legolas. Tell her that she can't wait," Cearien begged. "She won't listen to me. I prayed that Éowyn would take my side in this.

"Why? I can't make her do anything. If she wants to wait for him, let her. Neither you nor I can force her to push. The best we can do now is comfort her and encourage her. I will not make her do something she so obviously opposes," Éowyn said. I was so glad to have her with me.

"Thank you Éowyn," I whispered. I cried out again as another contraction went through my body. "Please, Legolas hurry," I prayed.

As I spoke, the door burst open. I looked up and saw Legolas standing there, panting. I cried out in relief. "Legolas!"

He ran to my side and kissed my forehead. "How is she," he asked Cearien, who was now positioned between my legs.

"She's ready to have the child, but she insisted on waiting for you to come," Cearien answered.

"Jasmine, you should not have done that," he said.

"I'm sorry," I said before yelling in agony.

"Hush, hush, there is nothing to forgive," Legolas replied.

"Legolas, you'll have to leave. The babe is coming," Cearien stated.

"No, please stay!" I cried. Legolas looked so helpless. He kept looking between me and Cearien, who gave him a sharp look.

"I'm sorry but I cannot. I will be here as soon as our child is born. I promise," he replied, kissing my forehead. I caught a glimpse of Aragorn and Gimli outside. Good, at least Legolas would have companions to keep him from driving himself crazy.

"Come on Jasmine, push. Legolas is here, but we have to get this child out of you," Cearien said.

I obliged and pushed at the next contraction, yelling out my pain. It seemed like I was doing that forever. I could feel the baby moving through me slowly. I was sure that the pain would kill me. That is if Frodo didn't destroy the ring and evil ended up winning. I pushed with all my strength, screaming the whole time.

"Jasmine, you can do this. I know it hurts, but just think of the little baby you're having. Think of holding it in your arms," Éowyn said. Her encouragement helped.

"That's it Jasmine. You're crowning. I can see its head. Just a few more pushes," Cearien said.

I screamed and pushed. With one final cry, I felt the child slip from within me and into the arms of Cearien. My child's cries filled the room.


	24. Mallanu

So, I apologize if last chapter was a tad too detailed, but I had help writing it from my cousin, who insisted that I put in the detail, despite the fact that it might have scared the crap out of some of my innocent readers. She has had three kids, without any drugs, and she insisted that I show the pain and suffering to make it more realistic.... yeah.

I literally just walked in the door from a drive home from Long Island, where I spent the weekend. It was sooo beautiful. I spent so much time reading and walking alone on the beaches. I actually fell asleep on the porch, watching the stars over the ocean. I love nature and I feel so at peace when I'm outside. I have this dream of buying a house near the ocean, or mountains when I'm married and getting horses to ride and just live with nature. I wish I had my camera to take pictures and post them somewhere with a link but sadly, it was a home charging :( I hope you all had a good weekend and if you didn't then I'm sorry and I hope that your week or next weekend will be better.

My schedule is getting really packed. Tomorrow, my best friend Kim and I are driving out to the beach and spending the day there so, that will be amazing. After we get too hot, we are planning to go to this amazing ice cream place where they make the best home made ice cream. Then, we'll probably go shopping on the board walk. It should b really fun. So, sadly, I won't be able to post anything tomorrow. Then, on tuesday, I start training in the best practice group of my new swim team. Then, the next day, I get a laptop for school. Then, on the twenty sixth, I will be going to Vermont to visit my uncle, aunt, and cousins. It is my uncle's 50th birthday so, they are having a huge celebration in a rented barn and they are hiring a band. After that, I'm not sure, but I will have swimming competitions at least one weekend each month. I'll be staying over night in hotels and swimming at all hours of the morning and night. But it's all fun. We will probably end up going to see a movie or an amusement park or on a shopping trip with the team after the swim meet.

Oh, and I just found out from my aunt went to St. Lawrence University in New York with........ Viggo Mortensen, who as some of you may know played Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings movies!!!! So, that made me really excited. It is so incredible and almost impossible to believe, but it's true. She remembers sitting and talking with him after classes. I was shocked and well, yeah.

CHAPTER 24

"It's a boy," Cearien declared. She skillfully cut the cord and cleaned him off with a small white scrap of cloth. After wrapping him in blankets, she propped me up against the cold stone wall with some pillows and handed my son to me. I wrapped my arms around him, cradling him against my chest. I kissed the top of his small head. He was completely and totally perfect, a miracle in every way. My son, I thought to myself, emotion overwhelmed me as I looked into his tiny face, his rosy lips, blonde tufts of hair, crystal eyes, small and perfect nose, he was amazing and I created him. Éowyn opened the door and let Legolas inside the room. I had only just noticed that the other women had left at some point, though I did not know when.

Legolas came over to me quickly, but calmly. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. I smiled at him. "You did amazing meleth nîn (my love). Just look at our child. You were so brave. I heard your screams. Each one made me feel like breaking the door down to help you, but Aragorn and Gimli restrained me. I am so sorry that you had to go through all that pain," Legolas said, laughing. I laughed with him tiredly.

I looked into his eyes. "Legolas, without that pain we would not be blessed with this wonderful, amazing miracle that is our child. Look what we made, look, Legolas, would you like to meet your son?" I asked.

"A son? You bore me a son?" Legolas asked. I nodded, it was all I could do. The many emotions swirling inside me rendered me absolutely speechless. I gingerly handed our child to Legolas. He took our son in his arms, holding him securely against his chest. I sighed contentedly as I watched him trace our sons face. "He looks just like me. He's absolutely perfect, of course, considering the fact that you are his mother."

"What a lucky boy he is to have you as his father," I said. Legolas smiled and kissed me. For the first time, I realized that he had tears in his eyes that had finally spilled over the brims. I trailed my thumb across his face, wiping away his tears. "What should we name him?"

"You should choose, after all, you carried him and gave birth to him," Legolas replied.

"No. You should name him. If it weren't for you, I would not have made it through this labor, let alone our journey," I said. Plus, I honestly had no idea what to name him. A name was not anything to be neglected. He was an elven prince. His name would follow him for eternity. It would have an effect on his life and I had no idea whatsoever what to name him. I did not want to be responsible for giving him a name that he would disslike or be made fun of for having.

"Well, I must admit that I have been thinking of names for our child. Out of the list I came up with for boy's names, I do like the name Mallanu," Legolas said.

"Mallanu, I love it. It means golden flower, am I correct," I asked. Legolas nodded. "How appropriate. His hair is golden and he is the flower of our love."

"Indeed he is. Welcome to the world Mallanu, my son," Legolas said, smiling down at the bundle in his arms. He handed Mallanu to Éowyn, while saying to me, "I am taking you to a proper bed. Éowyn, can you please bring Mallanu with us?" She agreed, smiling down at my son. Like everyone else, she was enthralled by his very sight. I laughed. He would be wuite the ladie's man when he was older.

As we stepped outside, Aragorn and Gimli laughed at the sight of Legolas carrying me like a limp rag doll. I rested my head on his shoulder. Éowyn trailed behind us, holding our son, but Aragorn and Gimli had yet to notice Mallanu.

"Aragorn," Legolas asked, "could you lead us to a chamber with a bed. Jasmine was lying on pillows and deserves somewhere more comfortable to rest after what she has gone through today."

"Of course," Aragorn replied. He led us through some hallways, up a flight of stairs, and to a beautiful room. Legolas entered and placed me very gently on the large bed. As soon as my body sank into the mattress, I let out a sigh. It was more comfortable than the pillows. I had not noticed my discomfort until now and I was glad to be somewhere where I could rest and regain my strength properly.

"Thank you for carrying me Legolas. I am to weary to so much as move," I said.

"It was my pleasure. You completely deserve it," he replied.

"I can't blame you for being weary Jasmine. That must have been a long labor. You were very brave to go through with it almost alone," Aragorn said.

"Do you want to hold your son Jasmine?" Éowyn asked me.

"Yes please," I said. Éowyn brought Mallanu to me and placed him in my arms. I cradled him to mybody and kissed him on top of his head and on his nose. He had the most beautiful golden hair I'd ever seen, only slightly darker than Legolas's hair and lighter than mine, a golden wheat color that had been bleached with sun. My son opened his eyes. for the , I was able to see them properly. The light in the other room was little so, I could only see their basic color. Mallanu's eyes were a shocking blue. He looked up at me and Legolas. "Hello Mallanu, I'm your naneth (mother) and this is your ada (father)," I said. Mallanu cooed softly and I grinned.

"Congratulations," Aragorn said, "It is a boy or a girl?"

"A boy. We've named him Mallanu," Legolas replied.

"Congratulations, but what in the world does Mallanu mean? I've about had it with you and your elvish names. I have no idea what you are saying. Now, a dwarf name would be good for him, good and strong." Gimli asked. I laughed again. That was exactly the response that I would expect from him.

Aragorn answered for us. "It means golden flower," he replied. As Aragorn spoke, my friend Sevossi, whom Éowyn had introduced me to, entered the room.

"Éowyn just told me that you gave birth to your child. Congratulations Jasmine, congratulations Legolas," she said.

"Thank you Sevossi . Would you like to hold him?" I asked. Legolas smiled at me and I could tell that he was about to ask her the same thing.

"I would love to. Thank you," she answered. Aragorn, Gimli, and Sevossi came to my bedside. I handed him to Sevossi very carefully. "Oh, he's beautiful. You said his name was Mallanu?" I said yes. "What a fitting name he is a golden flower. There will be much rejoicing in Mirkwood. An elven child has not been born in centuries."

"He really is adorable," Aragorn said. "I suppose we'll leave you two alone for now."

After they left, Legolas whispered in my ear, "I never got the chance to tell you that I loved you."

"I love you too Legolas," I replied. I yawned, trying to hide it from Legolas.

"You're tired, get some rest," Legolas said. I knew that he would notice my yawn. He was always so attentive to me. I knew that he would be the best father for Mallanu that I could ever have hoped for and even more.

"Perhaps I will," I said. Legolas placed Mallanu into a crib that Aragorn had delivered to us after he departed. "Please don't leave me. I just got you back. I couldn't stand to see him go."

"I promise that I won't leave. Not now, not ever. I will always be by your side if I have any say in it," he whispered.

Just as I was about to fall asleep, Mallanu started crying. "He's hungry," I said. I picked him up from his crib, shushing him as he cried. I lowered my gown and let him latch onto my breast to nurse. Legolas had his arm around me and was smiling down at us. After Mallanu had had his fill, I placed him on my shoulder, patting his back to burp him, as I had been taught. I placed him back in his crib and drifted to sleep with Legolas by my side. We were all together as a family, just as we should be.


	25. Save Me

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in what seems like forever! I've been so busy this week, it's almost unbelieveable. I've had at least three hours of homework each night and I have swim practice every night from seven to nine o'clock. I also have it on saturday mornings...fun right? Today, in science class, we observed termites....it was very odd. Then, I think I failed a math quiz. I honestly had no idea what I was doing for some of the problems. I guess that all I can do is hope.

My grandfather is in the emergency room again, sadly. He was feeling bad and had some pains yesterday so, we rushed him to the hospital. They are still doing tests to make sure that he will be alright, but they think that he may have just over-exerted himself. He should be fine, they think. I was extremely worried though. I had to get a ride home from school with a friend because my mother was in the hospital with him all day. He is doing better than he was though. Being home seems to be the best medicine for him. Even though the most he can lift is a small water pitcher, he is feeling better about his not being able to do the things that he used to do.

In school, we all got our laptops yesterday. Basically, my school has a program where macbooks are distributed to all the students. We only had to pay an insurance fee, but they can only be used for educational purposes. Otherwise, I'm sure that people would be on facebook, or other websites during classes. Despite that, I am really happy to have the laptop. This way, I can take notes on my computer and have easy access to everything, instead of having to search through binders and notebooks to find what I am looking for.

Legolas: How could you not update!?! I've wanted to know what happens to me for ages!

Me: Well, I'm sorry that I have to keep up with my education. Gosh!

Legolas: You should be! Take a brake from studying and update this damn story!

Me: What do you think I'm doing now?

Jasmine: Legolas, calm down, she has a perfectly valid reason for not updating.

Me: Yes, listen to the mother of your child. Anyway, don't you think it's a little foolish to insult the person who controls your fate..... well at least I control your fate in this story. *smirks evilly*

Legolas: No, I know what you're thinking! Not the hair! Don't you dare make me cut off my hair!

Me: Wow.... okay...... someone's a tad obsessed with their hair...

Legolas: I am not obsessed!

Jasmine: Yes, Legolas, you are.

Legolas: Fine, whatever you say Jasmine.

Kim (author's best friend): LEGOLAS!!!!!! MARRY ME!!!! I WILL HAVE YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!!!

***** Okay.... sorry about that, my best friend got to my computer and is insisting that I put that little discussion up.

CHAPTER 25

I woke up in the middle of the night. My body felt like it was on fire. Was this what Galadriel had meant when she said I would die if the ring fell into the hands of evil? Had Frodo and Sam been captured? What was going on? I writhed in agony, waking Legolas from his sleep.

"Jasmine, what's wrong? What hurts?" He asked, panicking.

"I- I don't know. I feel like I'm on fire. Oh god, make it stop," I screamed. This was worse than birth, which was a very hard thing to believe.

"Could this be what Lady Galadriel meant?" Legolas wondered. "I need to speak with Aragorn. I'll be back, I promise," he said. He got up to leave, but I stopped him, grabbing his hand desperately.

"Don't leave me! Please!" I yelled. I loosed a blood-curdling shriek. As I cried out, Mallanu woke and added his cries to the cacophony of noise. Somehow, over my loud screams, Legolas managed to hear someone running down the hall. The door to our chamber burst open, slamming against the stone walls. Aragorn and Sevossi stood at the door with Gimli close behind them, looking shocked at the sight of me convulsing in pain on the bed and Legolas franticly rocking Mallanu to try and calm him.

"What happened Legolas? Why is Jasmine like this?" Sevossi asked, rushing to my side. She placed a hand on my forehead. It felt like an icicle. I could not help but shudder at the temperature of her hand. I could not bear this agony. "She's burning. Her fever is unbelievable."

"Help me, please, I feel like I've been set on fire, my very limbs are burning from the inside," I somehow managed to say, between convulsions and cries of agony.

"Could it be from the birth?" Aragorn asked.

"No Aragorn, I do not think so. Pain after birth is to be expected, but pain to this degree and the fever could not be caused by child birth. This is something entirely different," Sevossi said.

"Aragorn, you remember Lady Galadriel's prophecy?" Legolas asked. Aragorn nodded sharply. "I fear that it is coming true. Something has happened to Frodo and Sam. I believe that Sauron's eye is focused on them. Someone needs to distract it so that they can destroy the ring." He did not add that we would need to do that in order to save me to make sure I was not reminded, but he did not need to say it, I knew what he meant. I knew what he was going to say, and he was right.

"Very well, we'll ride out to Mordor, distract the eye. We can only hope that this works. Fear not Jasmine, we will win this fight. You _will _survive if I have any say in this. You have come to far only to be lost now. No, I shall not let a friend who is almost as a sister to me perish when I can do something to stop this," Aragorn said. Legolas looked torn. I knew he wanted to go, to help Frodo, but he also wanted to stay we me and Mallanu to ensure that I would be alright.

"Go Legolas, I can bear this, just hurry for I do not know how much longer I have," I gasped.

"I do not want to leave you, not when you are in this state. I cannot bear to leave you alone." Legolas said. I tried to quiet my cries so that Mallanu would not be disturbed.

"Legolas, go. I will stay and watch over her. Hurry. If you do not make it in time she may die," Sevossi said. "When you leave, could you send Éowyn in. We'll need someone to watch your son as well."

"Goodbye my love. I will be back soon and you will be alright. I promised that nothing would happen to you and I intend to keep that promise," Legolas said, kissing me before he walked out with Aragorn and Gimli.

Soon, Éowyn burst through the door. "Jasmine, are you alright? No, of course you're not. I shouldn't have asked. Legolas told me what was going on. I'm so sorry," she said, taking a seat next to me.

I moaned in agony before answering her. "You shouldn't apologize. It's not your fault. Ugh, I hope they get this done with quickly. I don't know how much longer I can gold on. It's like someone is holding me over a pyre," I said, moaning and sweating.

"You poor girl. I can't imagine what you're going through. You just gave birth yesterday and now this. You're so brave and strong," Éowyn replied.

"Éowyn, Sevossi , I'm telling you this and I trust you with my life so please, see that it is carried out. If they do not make it in time and I die, make sure that Legolas knows that I love him and that he was the best thing that ever happened to me. Make sure that Mallanu knows that as well. I also want you to try to make sure that Legolas does not spend the rest of his life alone. Find a nice elleth for him. And if I die, I would greatly appreciate it if you could be a constant female presence in my son's life," I breathed.

"Jasmine, do not speak of things that will not happen. I just know they will make it and you will be fine, after resting," Sevossi said gently, squeezing my hand.

"I hope you are right," I said.

"I am going to get some cold water and a towel. I hope dabbing it on your forehead will help bring your temperature down some," Éowyn said. I was only vaguely aware of her exiting the room then, everything became hazy. I could tell that Sevossi was speaking to me, but I could only barely understand what she was saying. I blinked at her, confused. My vision was failing. I felt so tired that death seemed a welcome idea, relief from the pain.

As I thought of that, I realized that I would be leaving my son. He didn't even really know me. I would miss out on so much of his life, his first word, his first step. I could not bear to let that happen. I would not leave my child, the child of my felsh and blood, motherless. I would be there to see every part of his life and the lives of all my future children. I had to fight this. I had to. For Legolas, for my son.

Despite my efforts to keep myself from slipping away, I felt as if I were drifting under water, I was floating, but it was hard to breathe and everything around me had an odd, distorted quality to it. Was this the end for me? I finally succumbed to the darkness. It felt so good to close my eyes. Perhaps I would rest for a while……..

"Legolas, Mallanau, Aragorn, tell them I'm sorry and that I love them," I whispered, barely audible as I finally lost consciousness and felt like I was floating on clouds.

Author's Note: Ohhhh, cliffy!!!! Will Jasmine die? Will something happen to Legolas? Only time...... and some reviews will tell. Until then, I bid you goodbye.


	26. Waking Up

I'm so sorry I have not been posting anything for a while. School has been crazy, and the workload is huge. I have at least four hours of homework each night, unless I am extremely lucky. Then, I have a swim workout from seven to nine o'clock at night every day Monday through Friday, and Saturday morning practice also from seven to nine. Some days, I also have dry-land, which means I do sit-ups, crunches, push-ups, life weights, you name it, we most likely do it. The, I sometimes also have to go to my personal trainer. As you can see, my schedule is very hectic. I really do wish that I had more time to post, but I just do not.

I promise that I do work on this story whenever I have the chance. Like today, I am home from school because I am sick. Basically, I have a fever, runny nose, congested and sore throat, and I sneezing and coughing constantly. I missed two tests in school, which I will have to make up on Monday. They should not be too bad though. Being in all honors classes is much harder than I thought it would be. I failed my first math quiz, I got a 21.5 out of a possible 38 points. My other quizzes, I did fairly well on though.

Tomorrow, I will be going to visit my grandmother to celebrate her birthday. We are going to see a play and then taking her out to dinner. I honestly have no idea what play we are seeing, but I am sure it will be great. On Sunday, I have to go to church then, study for my upcoming tests. On Tuesday, I get to go in to school at 6:50 in the morning. Why? You ask. Well, my Honors World History class and I are having a video- conference with a school in Taiwan. They will be presenting information about acupuncture and my class will be talking about the middle ages and the coat of arms. It should be interesting, but I honestly have no idea how the two topics relate to each other. I have to miss my math class for this project, which worries me because math is my worst subject. However, almost half of my math class is in my history class as well so, the math teacher should not be doing anything too new.

Enjoy this chapter! I worked really hard on it. You know the drill. Read, and REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIEW!!!!!

CHAPTER 26

I awoke to hear voices around me. My eyelids felt heavy, but the fire that seemed to burn my body from the inside out was now gone, not completely, but it had subsided to a dull, pulsating warmth. I was sore, probably from giving birth and my recent ordeal, but other than that, I actually felt alright.

"Why isn't she waking up? The ring was destroyed. Good prevailed! What is wrong?" Legolas exclaimed. I could hear his footsteps. He was pacing, nervously too. I wanted to open my eyes, to get up and tell him that I was alright, but I could not open my eyes, nor could I find my voice.

"I know not Legolas. Yes, she should be fine, but maybe her body has not registered the fact that she is safe yet. If that is the case, the only question is how to wake her up. How long has she been like this Éowyn?" Aragorn asked.

"I do not know. I went to fetch water to attempt to cool her off. When I returned, she had already passed out. Sevossi , do you know?" Éowyn asked.

"Yes, it has been almost four hours. She should not be taking this long to awaken though," she replied. Again, I fought to open my eyes, but only to have them open slightly, before then snapped shut again.

"So, let's dump the cold water on her," Gimli suggested. I laughed inwardly at that. It was exactly the type of thing I had expected him to say. "That will surely wake her up. It is what my parents did to me when I was young and refused to awaken from my slumber."

"Are you crazy? That could make her catch a cold or something worse. If too much water gets in her lungs from having it poured on her, she could drown. Deep waters are not the only way to drown someone Gimli. No, you will do no such thing to her," Legolas replied sternly.

"Then what should we do?" Aragorn asked, utterly exasperated.

Finally, after trying very hard, I was able to open my eyes. None of them were facing me now and I had to blink several times to adjust to the bright light in the room. My friends were now arguin passionately, suggesting a vast variety of solutions. They just could not agree on anything. When someone suggested something, there was always at lest one person to disagree.

"Why don't you just wait for her to wake up on her own?" I croaked. Upon hearing my voice, they all spun around to face me. It was quite an amusing sight really and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Jasmine! Oh Valar, thank the gods that you're finally awake. Do you have any idea how worried I've been," Legolas said, coming to my side.

"My my, don't you sound like a father," I said smiling. Legolas smiled too.

"I should hope so," he replied.

"Do not worry so. I am fine now, except for the fact that I'm sore and feel like I've been run over by a thousand horses," I replied, keeping my tone light. Legolas, and Aragorn's faces were almost priceless. They looked absolutely horrified and confused at the same time, resulting in quite comical expressions.

"It's only too be expected from the birth," Sevossi said.

"Yes, well still…." Legolas said, trailing off.

"It's alright. No need to worry. It's finally over. The ring is gone, I'm fine, you're fine, our friends are alive, and our son is perfect and healthy," I said. Wow, I just realized how motherly I sounded. I smiled when I thought of that.

"Thank the gods for that," Éowyn said. "I'm glad you're alright Jasmine."

"As we all are," Aragorn said.

"Legolas, can you help me up? I need to walk," I said.

"Jasmine, are you sure? You just gave birth and woke up from an almost comatose state," Legolas said. He was nervous to let me do this. I supposed he was scared of what could happen to me and wanted to make sure that I did not overexert myself.

"I'm sure. I need to walk. I'm so stiff. I know it will probably hurt to walk, but it's better than being stuck in this bed for hours upon hours. I know that you know that you can't stop me from doing this," I said.

"You always were stubborn Jasmine. Here, I'll help you up on one condition. You will be holding on to me while we walk and if you feel tired or you are in pain then you must tell me immediately," Legolas replied.

"Fine. Now please help me out of this bed!" I exclaimed. Everyone laughed at me. It was good to finally be able to relax with my friends without worrying about attacks or the ring, despite the humor at my expense "Where's Frodo?" I asked. I can't believe I'd forgotten about Frodo. What kind of friend was I? Then again, he had probably forgotten about me when he was facing the dangers of Mordor.

"He's resting. He passed out after destroying the ring. Sadly, he's missing part of a finger. Gollum bit it off while trying to take the ring from him," Aragorn replied. I gasped, shocked.

"That's awful," I said. "I hope it doesn't pain him too much. Is it possible to heal him or grow his finger back?"

"No, we did stop t he bleeding and his wound is sterile and almost healed, but we could not grow his finger back," Aragorn answered. I felt bad for Frodo. It must have pained him greatly. Despite his size, he had courage greater than that of even the stongest, tallest man.

We began to walk out of the room, but Mallanu began to whimper. I went over to his crib, with Legolas's help. I picked Mallanu up. His cries stopped almost immediately when I cradled him against me. "Aww. Hush my son. You didn't like being left behind did you? No matter, we'll just have to bring you with us," I crooned, smiling down at my baby boy. Aragorn and Gimli laughed. "What!" I said.

"It's just amusing to see how you've transformed. You've gone from a girl who wouldn't think twice about killing orcs and demons to a woman no, mother, who croons to her child- who probably can't even understand a word that you are saying," Aragorn said.

"Don't listen to them Mallanu. Your mother and I know that you're incredibly smart. Don't be offended by these nonbelievers," Legolas fake-whispered to our son. Now, we all laughed. Legolas had stepped into the roll of father extremely well. He even looked fatherly, which, in a rather odd way, turned me on to an extent that I had not thought to be possible.

"Yes Aragorn, Gimli, do not doubt my son's intelligence. You've probably scarred him for life. Now he will grow up thinking that he is not smart enough," I joked. This was met by even more laughter. We continued out the door, conversing happily. Soon, everyone had "conveniently" had something they had to attend to, leaving Legolas and I alone with our baby.

"I can't believe that it's all over. We're parents now," I said. Legolas tightened his arm around my waist.

"Indeed we are, and I intend to make the best of it. So long as I live, our children will never want for anything. I shall give them everything they need and more. As I will also make sure to take care of you. I will provide you a home with a fireplace and plenty of room for our children," Legolas replied.

"And I will do my best to please you and make your father proud of me, though I know he will not welcome me at first," I said, sighing.

"Why do you think that my father would not welcome you love?" Legolas asked.

"Legolas, I may not have lived here all my life, but I've studied life in royal courts enough to know that they will be upset that you proposed to me without asking them, or a proper courting period. That and the fact that I became pregnant with your child before we were married. What if they think of me as a whore?" I asked. This was one of my fears. I dreaded the day that we would ride to Mirkwood and see his parents.

"My love, they would never think such things. If they do, I shall hear none of it. You are no harlot and I love you more than life itself. I suspect that my father, as well as my people will be overjoyed. Not only will my father have a grandson, but a daughter-in-law. For ages, he, and his advisors, have been pressuring me to take on a wife and settle down. Now, I've found one. It may not be according to their plans, but they cannot be mad once they see how happy we are. Do not fret my love," Legolas said. His words, as always, reassured me.

"Thank you. You always seem to know exactly what to say to me. That's what I love about you," I replied.

"Just that?" Legolas asked slyly.

"Oh Legolas, you know the answer to that already," I answered.

"Really? It seems that I hove forgotten. Can you remind me?"

"I love your kindness, your tenderness, the way you hold our son and speak to him, the way, when you look at me, it's as if I'm the only person you've ever wanted to see, and I love how perfect you are for me," I replied.

"Those are the same things I love about you. I don't know what I would do without you," Legolas said. I smiled. We were about to kiss, when Mallanu let out a cry.

"Oh my son, do you feel left out?" I laughed. "Oh, and Legolas, you are never to come near my bed ever again. If you want more children, you will be the one carrying them and giving birth to them."

"I think Mallanu does feel left out. And Jasmine, I'm sure you'll change your mind about that last part though…eventually," Legolas chuckled. We both leaned down and kissed the small bundle in my arms. Mallanu giggled, and the sound was sweeter than music. It was the purest, most special sound in the world to me.

Author's Note: Yay! Jasmine is okay and so is everyone else... well, except Frodo, but he will be okay eventually.

Now, I only have one request.... Review. Please, please, please, with sugar, cherries, hot fudge, multi- colored sprinkles, caramel sauce, wipped cream, cookie dough, brownies, cake, frosting, and anything else you can think of, on top?

REVIEW

REVIEW!!! It will make me very happy, and it will totally make me feel less sick and crappy. Please? *looks at readers with puppy eyes*


	27. Coronation

I'm sorry I haven't updated lately. School has been so crazy and my swim team schedule started up so, I've been there almost every night, working out. Then, I have so much homework. I got my math test back, and I got an 81%, which made me really happy. This is the first year that I acutally believe that I will fail math, It's just not clicking for me. I can not seem to understand it when I take the tests. In class, I am fine, but when it comes to the testing, I feel like everything that I learned slips out of my head, and I forget how to do some of the problems. I took another math quiz this morning, and as it turns out, the quiz had the exact same problems that were our "optional extra practice" problems last night. Thankfully, I did them, and I remembered the answers for the quiz.

We had a pep-rally today at school. I have come to realize that my school is seriously lacking in spirit. Everything was half-hearted and sometimes sarcastic. I am taking an acting class in school, and I love it! We recently created a character and wrote our own monologues, which I got a perfect score on. Now, we are working with partners, creating characters and writing a scene with them. I am so excited. It is probably my favorite class of the day besides science. So, yeah, my life is crazy right now, but it is pretty good.

So, I just wrote another chapter and I hope you like it.

*This is Kim, the author's best friend, and I am taking over the summary until the actual chapter begins!!!

Legolas: Tell all the readers that I command them to review this story.

Me: Tell them yourself.....

Legolas: Why?

Me: Because I said so, and I have the power in this story, I could have you cut off all of your hair

Legolas: No! Not my hair!!! Fine, I'll tell them.... Everyone reading this story, which is an amazing story, go leave a review when you finish reading. If you don't I think the author will do something scary or bad to me.... or my hair, and you don't want that, do you?

Jasmine: Maybe they do Legolas, and stop obsessing over your hair!

Legolas: Yes Jasmine

Me:Wow, you're whipped....

Legolas: What's 'whipped'?

Me: Wow........ modern language and terminology fail..... go look it up in a slang dictionary.

Legolas: Where would I go about finding one of these?

Me: You fail Legolas! Thank god you're not really like this or else I might have to shoot myself....

Legolas: Hey, that was mean.... anyway, go read the story and please review. The author might even send you a virtual kiss from me *winks*

*The author now has control of the keyboard again.... The chapter will start now... Peace--- Kate ;)

CHAPTER 27

As we stood, fawning over our darling son, Éowyn ran out into the courtyard. "Legolas, Jasmine, Frodo has woken up. He and the other hobbits are anxious to see you," she said.

"Shall we?" Legolas asked.

"We shall," I said. He guided me forward, his arm still tightly around me. We gazed at each other, love in out eyes. How we managed to keep walking without falling, I do not know, for we never tore our gazes from each other.

We finally came to a small room, filled with people. "Frodo, it is good to see you," Legolas said. Frodo looked up and smiled brightly.

"It is good to see you too Legolas. Jasmine how are you doing?" Frodo responded.

"Much better, thank you. It seems that I am in your debt though," I said, stepping forward. Frodo's eyes widened when he saw that I carried my son in my arms.

"How so?" Frodo questioned, obviously confused.

"Well, as you might have known, my fate was tied to the fate of the ring and the war. If evil won, then I would be dead right now. But you destroyed the ring. It is because of you that I stand here today," I said. "For that, I am forever in your debt."

"Well, I, I am honored to have saved the life of a lady as fine as you, Jasmine," Frodo said. I almost laughed, but I knew that would make him feel uncomfortable and awkward. Besides, he already looked embarrassed, and I did not want to make him feel worse.

"Oh Mister Frodo, there is no need to be embarrassed," I said. "We are friends." I walked over to him, slowly because my body still hurt from my long and painful labor. I kissed him on the forehead, careful not to jostle Mallanu, who was still cradled in my arms.

"Is that your child jasmine, Legolas?" he asked, upon getting a better look at the tiny bundle.

"Aye, it is. His name is Mallanu," Legolas said.

"He's beautiful. He looks just like you Legolas," Frodo said.

"Indeed he does Mister Legolas," Sam said. This was exactly what everyone else said. At first, I had been upset that he did not look more like me, but then I realized that when Legolas was gone on business, I would constantly have a mini version of him by my side. He would surely grow into quite the ladie's man when he was older.

"Sam, it is good to see you. Would you like to hold him Frodo? Sam, Merry, Pippin, you may hold him too, if you wish," I said.

"I'm glad that you're well Miss Jasmine," Sam replied. "I'd very much like to hold him, after Mister Frodo, that is."

I carefully handed Mallanu to Frodo. "Careful, make sure to support his head. He's not yet strong enough to support his head on his own," I cautioned. I was not worried though, I knew Frodo would be gentle.

"He sure is a perfect little baby," Pippin said. It seemed like they really noticed me then, for they ran and hugged me tightly around the waist. I grimaced slightly at the pressure.

"I know you're excited to see Jasmine, but could you be a little gentler with her? She's had a very difficult labor and is still very sore," Legolas asked them kindly, seeing my slight grimace. They immediately withdrew from me, ducking their heads.

"Legolas only said to loosen your grips, not to let go completely. Now come here, I wasn't done hugging you two," I laughed. They joined my mirth, hugging me once more.

"You seem more, I don't really know how to phrase it Jasmine, but you seem more mother-like, ish," Pippin said,

"You mean motherly," Merry corrected. I laughed at this. It reminded me of their little argument at Elrond's council. Legolas seemed to know what I was thinking of and laughed as well. I was so glad to finally be able to laugh and enjoy life freely, without fear.

"Now, I apologize, but I must leave. I've been instructed to meet with a few people to ready myself for the coronation," Aragorn said. He strode out of the room. It was hard to think of my dear friend Aragorn as a king. It was even more difficult to think that Legolas and I would eventually be King and Queen of Mirkwood. I sighed heavily. It would be such a change. I hadn't the slightest idea how to be a queen.

**********

The entire city had gathered in the courtyard to witness Aragorn's coronation. Gandalf, Aragorn, and Gimli stood on the steps of the castle. Gimli held a large pillow, upon which an ornate crown rested.

Gandalf lifted it from this pillow and held it just above Aragorn's head. "Now come the days of the King," he said, smiling at Aragorn. "May they be blessed." After that, he set the crown upon Aragorn's head. The gathered crowd erupted into cheers for their new King. As Aragorn began to speak, a hush fell over them and they listened intently.

"This day does not belong to one man," he said, lifting his hands slightly, "but to all. Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace." The crowd cheered again and applauded his statement. Aragorn slowly descended the stairs; walking among his people, while singing, "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta (Out of the Great Seas to Middle-Earth I am come. In this place will I abide, unto the ending of the world)."

On both sides of the aisle, the people bowed to their King, smiling broadly. As Aragorn passed Legolas and I, we bowed our heads. He smiled, lifting our chins to look at him. Although he was a king now, he had not lost his sense of camaraderie with us. If he came to our coronation, I would be sure to return the favor. I would not let myself forget my friends just because I became a queen.

Legolas nodded to Aragorn slightly, and smiling a little, he stepped aside to reveal Lord Elrond. Beside him stood someone holding a large white banner bearing the White Tree. As Aragorn stared at it curiously, the person behind the banner stepped forward, revealing herself. It was Arwen, clothed all in white, with a beautiful headdress. She walked towards the king, holding the banner and curtsied to him slightly. Aragorn looked at her disbelievingly and lifted her chin up. But after looking just one moment at his love, he leaned in and kissed her.

The crowed laughed happily and broke out into cheers once more. As they embraced, Arwen laughed happily as Elrond looked upon them, smiling. The King and Queen walked among the crowd, and finally came up to the four little hobbits, who bowed.

Aragorn stepped forward. "My friends," he said. "You bow to no one." And with that, he knelt before them, and the crowd followed his lead. The hobbits were shocked. A king and his entire country bowed in front of them. It was obvious that such an honor had never been bestowed upon them. I chuckled slightly at their expressions. Mallanu stirred in my arms and I kissed him gently. Seeing my movement, Legolas smiled and put his arm around us, his family.

****************************************

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	28. Goodbyes

Sorry I haven't updated in forever! I've been so busy. I've had tests and quizzes every week, usually about one per day, if not more. Then, I have swimming and my personal trainer. At a swim meet this friday, I placed top 10 in all three of the events that I swam, which made me really happy. Also, My friend placed top ten in everything so, we made a name and place for ourselves on the new team.

Last week, I acutally could barely walk, let alone go up stairs. Every movement of my legs hurt. Why, you ask? Because I had dryland. I know it does not sound too bad on paper, but still, it hurt. We started off running then, doing lunges, then more running then, more lunges, then, more running then, more lunges. After that, we did 5 minutes of wall sits and we jumped for a minute in between them. After that, we did 3 rounds of twenty push- ups. After that, we did planks for 5 minutes on the front, 3 minutes of the back and then 2 minutes on either side. Then, we did crunches, situps, and jacknives. After that, I had a full two hour swim practice, which was full of sprinting sets. I am NOT a sprinter.... at all. I am a distance swimmer. The sprints were painful and I could barely breathe and kick.

I have practice again tonight and dryland tomorrow, followed by practice. Then, I have normal practice on Wednesday. Dryland and swimming on Thursday. Swimming on Friday, and dryland and swimming on Saturday morning.

The only happy thing about this week is that I found out that the boy I like likes a girl at his biology table.... and I am the only girl at his table :) So, that is good news.

Well, that's enough of my ranting for now.

Enjoy the chapter!!!!

CHAPTER 28

I sighed as I packed my bags. I would miss Minas Tirith, I would miss the beauty of the great city, the view of the mountains, the white stones, the noise of the crowds, but mostly, I would miss my wonderful friends. It hurt to wonder when I would see them again. I hoped that they would be able to attend my wedding, but I did not know if that would be possible. I would miss all of them so much, especially Aragorn. He had become like a brother to me. I could only pray that he and Arwen would visit us.

"Do you have everything meleth nîn (my love)?" Legolas asked. I wondered briefly if he was as sad as I was to be leaving, but I already knew the answer. He was upset about leaving, but he was probably putting on a mask so that he could be strong for me. How I loved Legolas, I thought and I sighed.

"I think so. I packed my clothes and our weapons. There is food in our saddle bags and Mallanu's cradle is already attached to my horse's saddle," I replied. I could not halp but frown. It took every bit of my concentration not to cry. I had always hated goodbyes, but this one was especially painful for me.

"Well then, I suppose we should be off," Legolas said, sadness in his voice.

"I suppose so," I answered, my voice just as sad. I scooped Mallanu up from his crib and held him close to me.

We walked very slowly through the halls of the white city, for the last time in a while. As we exited into the main area of the city, I noticed that Aragorn, Arwen, Éowyn, Gimli, Gandalf, Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Frodo were standing by the gates. At least I would get to see them one last time before I left. I had to stay strong. I couldn't cry in front of them, not now.

"I suppose that this is goodbye," I said.

"No, it is not goodbye. Think of it as 'until we meet again'," Merry said.

"Oh, Merry. I will miss you so," I said. I enveloped him in a warm hug. He buried his face in my stomach, his small arms clasped around me.

I went around, hugging each of my friends. "I will miss you Miss Jasmine," Sam said.

"I will miss you too Sam. Although I thoroughly hope that you will be able to attend my wedding," I replied.

"I wouldn't dream of missing it Miss Jasmine," he smiled.

"You know Sam, you're the only person who can get away with calling my fiancé 'Miss Jasmine'. That is a very special honor indeed," Legolas joked.

"Oh, I know Mister Legolas," Sam said. I smiled at the two of them.

"Frodo. I don't know what to say, I will miss you so much and I hope that I will see you soon. It seems that I owe so much to you. You saved my life, and helped save the world so that my son does not have to grow up motherless and in the constant shadow of darkness. Thank you and may the gods bless you," I said, kissing the top of Frodo's head before he hugged me tightly.

"There is nothing to thank me for. I would have done it anyway," he replied. Pippin hugged me tightly and made me promise to write to him. I laughed and gladly agreed. At least I would be able to hear from him that way.

I'd said goodbye to everyone except Éowyn and Aragorn now, the two most painful farewells now awaited me. I decided to say bye to Éowyn first, considering that Legolas was in the middle of a conversation with Aragorn.

"Oh Jasmine, I will miss you. Perhaps I will move close to Mirkwood so that I may be closer to you, once I find a husband. Speaking of husbands," she said, glancing at Legolas, "I expect an invitation to your wedding. Else, I will personaly haunt you for the rest of eternity. That, I can promise you. This is so hard. I don't want to say goodbye, and I know that I will see you again, but it feels like it will be an eternity 'till then."

"Éowyn, I completely understand what you mean. I will see you soon, at my wedding, but I can't help but to think of the time that will be spent apart from all my friends. This, you see, is the problem with friends, when you leave them, it feels like a hole is being torn in your heart that only they can patch up and when you do see them, it seems like no amount of time will be enough to heal that hole," I replied. I could not cry, I could not cry. I had to stay strong.

"Aye. Until then, take care of yourself and Mallanu. I will see you soon, my dear friend," Éowyn whispered, hugging me. I didn't want to let go. I would miss her and I really hoped that she would decide to live near us. That, at least, would make it easier. I would have a hard time in Mirkwood, I decided. I had no friends there, and I wished that somehow, all my companions could come and stay with us. I smiled wearily, for I knew that it would not be possible. They all had their responsibilities, as did I.

"Aragorn," I said.

"Jasmine. It seems that we will be parted for a while,' Aragorn stated.

"It does seem that way. I'm afraid that I do not know what to say, you've done so much for me and when it comes down to it, there are no word that can express what I want to say," I said, feeling stupid.

"Do not be upset. We will meet again. It may not be for a while, but I can assure you that between visiting Arwen and I here, and us visiting you and Legolas, you will become tired of seeing me," he joked.

"I could never tire of that. I will miss you so much. You will be attending my wedding though. Won't you?" I asked, looking up at him, my eyes pleading. I searched his face for a cllue as to what his answer would be.

"Of course you silly girl. I would not dream of missing my greatest friend's wedding to my other greatest friend," Aragorn replied. "Perhaps some royal duties will "send" you to Gondor. I may find myself having some "problems" that only you and Legolas can fix. They will not be able to keep us apart. And When I eventually pass on, I will be with you again later in the undying lands. We will always be friends."

"I do hope you are right. And please Aragorn, do not speak of death. That is nowhere in the future. Do not mention things that will not come to pass for a long time," I stated. I felt my resolve start crumbling. I needed to keep my tears from flowing just a little longer.

"I apologize. I will not mention it again. Well then, until we meet again Jasmine, I will write to you and we will arrange to have you come visit us."

"Farewell Aragorn. I shall miss you," I replied.

"And I you. Now you should leave. Legolas looks ready to see his home again," Aragorn said. I nodded. He laughed and enveloped me in a bone-crushing hug. I would be glad to see him again when the time came.


	29. Important Author's Note! Please Read!

So, here's the deal..... I am considering putting this story on hiatus. Why?

Because for my latest chapter I've had 105 hits and not a single review. So, either my readers are too lazy to click a freaking button and type a small message, or they don't like what they are reading.

I don't think my readers are lazy, so my story must not be all that amazing.

If you give me a valid reason not to stop posting chapters then I will continue the story. If not, then this is the last post for this story.

It's a shame too, because I have about ten more chapters already written and waiting to be posted, but since I've lost hope, it's basically pointless to post something that won't be appreciated.

Please, if you actually care about this story, leave a little review.

Thanks, and I hope to post something soon... if you want me to....

xoxoxox Kate


	30. Author's Apology

Thank you to those who encouraged me to review.

And after re-reading what I wrote, I do realize that I sounded spoiled and childish as some of you have pointed out. I am admitting that fact; however, in my defense, I was having a really crappy day and writing is my way of letting go of emotions... those were the emotions I was having at the moment so, I unfairly let them out on you. That day, I woke up early to swim and lift weights then,a random coach on my team called me a weak person (again) and basically reduced me to tears in front of my age group, which not only made me very upset, but it also made me feel completely embarrassed. After that, I had to study for hours for school and then I went to my personal trainer where I worked my butt off and used energy that I did not know existed. I was at a whole new level of tiredness.

I do realize that I should not have taken my frustration out on my readers, and for that I apologize one again.

I would also like everyone to know that I appreciate all my readers, and knowing that my story is read makes me incredibly happy, even if not everyone reviews. I am glad that you like what I write and want to read more.

I may not be posting a chapter for a while because with school and swimming, I don't really have much free time, and I still need to review my writing. But I will post when I have the chance and I hope that all of you will read it.

I'm sorry for my last author's note and I hope that you will forgive my lapse of control and judgement. I am so grateful that all of you like my writing and I hope you continue to read.

Thank you for all your support. xoxoxo Kate


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